Roche (SIX: RO, ROG; OTCQX: RHHBY) announced today that the European Commission has approved CotellicTM (cobimetinib) for use in combination with Zelboraf® (vemurafenib) for the treatment of adult patients with unresectable or metastatic melanoma with a BRAF V600 mutation.

AstraZeneca today announced that it has entered into an agreement with Perrigo Company plc for the divestment of US rights to Entocort® (budesonide), a gastroenterology medicine for patients with mild to moderate Crohn’s disease, an area of medicine outside AstraZeneca's strategic focus.

Bayer has submitted an application for marketing authorization in both the European Union and in the United States for LCS-16, a new low-dose levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system (LNG-IUS) which is directly placed in the uterus for contraception for up to five years. Long-acting contraception is one of the most effective methods of birth control.

Merck and Pfizer today announced that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted avelumab*, an investigational fully human anti-PD-L1 IgG1 monoclonal antibody, Breakthrough Therapy designation for the treatment of patients with metastatic Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) who have progressed after at least one previous chemotherapy regimen.

Roche (SIX: RO, ROG; OTCQX: RHHBY) plans to restructure its manufacturing network for small molecules to address current underutilisation as a result of its evolving portfolio. A new generation of specialised medicines based on small molecules requires novel manufacturing technologies and will be produced in lower volumes than traditional medicines.

The International Trachoma Initiative (ITI), Pfizer Inc. and International Coalition for Trachoma Control (ICTC) partners announce Pfizer's donation of the 500 millionth dose of Zithromax® (azithromycin) Tablets, an antibiotic used to treat trachoma in certain countries.

International research led by University College London (UCL) as part of the 'Cities Changing Diabetes' partnership programme challenges current scientific understanding of the rapid rise of diabetes in cities. The findings suggest that in cities around the world, social and cultural factors play a far more important role in the spread of the epidemic than previously thought.