AstraZeneca today announced that the company has referred its application for SEROQUEL XR (quetiapine fumarate) Extended Release Tablets for the treatment of recurrent depressive episodes in adult patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) to the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP; a scientific committee of the European Medicines Agency, EMEA).

Bayer HealthCare AG, Onyx Pharmaceuticals, Inc., OSI Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Roche announced the initiation of a Phase III trial examining Nexavar® (sorafenib) tablets in combination with Tarceva® (erlotinib) tablets as a potential new treatment option for patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), or primary liver cancer.

Nycomed reports a solid start to 2009, with total net turnover increasing by 1.2% to €839.9 million, despite adverse impact from currency movements. Excluding the effects of currency, the increase was 3.8%, underlining the solid performance of the main product Pantoprazole and other key products. On a regional basis, most Nycomed markets performed in line with or above expectations.

The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has placed initial orders for GSK's A (H1N1) influenza vaccine antigen and the company's proprietary adjuvant system, AS03, to support its pandemic influenza preparation efforts.

Roche has announced that new two-year data from the LITHE study(1) demonstrate that ACTEMRA (tocilizumab, known as RoACTEMRA within the EU) continues to be highly effective at inhibiting joint structural damage and maintaining consistently high remission rates. Reducing the structural damage to joints in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a critical measure of effectiveness of an RA treatment.

Novartis has signed a definitive agreement to acquire the specialty generic injectables business of EBEWE Pharma, providing Sandoz - the Group's generic pharmaceuticals division - an opportunity to create a strong global platform for future growth while improving access for patients worldwide to many generic oncology medicines.

New data presented at EuroPCR from an international, post-approval, single-arm study show that Abbott's market-leading XIENCE V(R) Everolimus Eluting Coronary Stent System demonstrated low rates of repeat procedure (target lesion revascularization), stent thrombosis and major adverse cardiac events (MACE) in a complex patient population.