The European Respiratory Society (ERS) is pleased to announce that Dr Morten Dahl, Herlev University Hospital in Copenhagen, Denmark and Simonetta Baraldo, Padova, Italy, are this year's winners of the Society's annual award for research in the field of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).

The European Commission, on 25 June 2007, granted marketing authorisation for INVEGA® (paliperidone prolonged-release tablets), a new atypical antipsychotic medication for the treatment of schizophrenia. This once daily medication is specifically designed to deliver paliperidone - the active ingredient in INVEGA® - through the innovative osmotic delivery system (OROS®) resulting in strong efficacy, a proven safety and tolerability profile and improved patient functioning.

Novartis has completed an agreement with Bayer Schering Pharma AG (Bayer Schering) related to various rights for the multiple sclerosis treatment Betaseron®[1] (interferon beta-1b) and has received a one-time payment of approximately USD 200 million.

The Medicines Company (NASDAQ: MDCO) today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted the Company's new drug application (NDA) for Cleviprex(TM) (clevidipine butyrate injectable emulsion) for the treatment of acute hypertension. If approved, Cleviprex will be the first new treatment for acute hypertension in more than 10 years.

Merck & Co., Inc. announced that it has successfully completed the acquisition of NovaCardia, Inc., a privately held clinical-stage pharmaceutical company focused on cardiovascular disease. This acquisition adds rolofylline (KW-3902), NovaCardia's investigational Phase III compound for acute heart failure to Merck's pipeline.

Today, the Cardiovascular and Renal Drugs Advisory Committee and the Drug Safety and Risk Management Advisory Committee to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) held a meeting to discuss the risk /benefit profile of Trasylol® (aprotinin injection), a Bayer drug used in coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery.

Sanofi-aventis announced a civil settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice to resolve "Average Wholesale Price" (AWP) lawsuits under the federal False Claims Act relating to Anzemet® involving one of its predecessor companies, Aventis Pharmaceuticals Inc. (API).