Following its regularly scheduled meeting, the Board of Directors of Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE) today announced that Executive Chairman of the Board Ian C. Read has chosen to retire on December 31, 2019, and that it has unanimously elected Pfizer's Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Dr. Albert Bourla, to succeed him as Chairman of the Board of Directors effective January 1, 2020. Bourla will also retain the CEO role.

New data from TWILIGHT, a Phase IV independent trial (funded by AstraZeneca), showed that in patients at high-bleeding risk who underwent PCI and completed 3 months of dual antiplatelet therapy, Brilinta (ticagrelor) monotherapy (90mg twice daily) reduced the risk of BARC (Bleeding Academic Research Consortium) type 2, 3 or 5 bleeding compared to Brilinta plus low-dose aspirin after 12 months.

Amgen (NASDAQ:AMGN) today announced that the results of a prespecified interim analysis of an open-label, randomized, controlled global multicenter Phase 3 trial (20120215) showed that the primary endpoint of event-free survival was met. The study evaluated the efficacy, safety and tolerability of BLINCYTO® (blinatumomab) compared to conventional consolidation chemotherapy in pediatric patients with

Bayer and Partners HealthCare's founding members Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) and Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) today announced the launch of a joint lab to research new drug candidates to treat chronic lung diseases. The joint lab will host scientists from all three parties and Bayer is investing more than USD 30 million to fund joint research projects over the next five years.

AstraZeneca has amended its collaboration agreement with Ironwood Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Ironwood) in China mainland, China Hong Kong and China Macau for Linzess (linaclotide), a first-in-class new treatment for patients with irritable bowel syndrome with constipation (IBS-C).

Teenagers face many challenges, and growing up with a chronic skin disease called atopic dermatitis (AD) can impact the ups and downs and transitions to young adulthood. Sanofi and Regeneron, in partnership with the National Eczema Association (NEA), today launched the next phase of Understand AD, a disease awareness initiative focused on educating people about moderate-to-severe AD.

AstraZeneca announced that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Fast Track designation for the development of Farxiga (dapagliflozin) to reduce the risk of cardiovascular (CV) death, or the worsening of heart failure, in adults with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) or preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF).