Pfizer Inc and Medicines for Malaria Venture (MVV) have signed an agreement that is designed to facilitate advancements in the battle against malaria, a disease that afflicts vulnerable populations in the developing world each year. Under the agreement, MMV will have access to the Pfizer library of novel chemical entities, in order to screen it for compounds that have the potential to be developed into new treatments for malaria.

The Roche Group recorded total sales of 11.6 billion Swiss francs in the first quarter of 2009, an increase of 8% in local currencies (7% in Swiss francs; -1% in US dollars)1 compared with the year-earlier period. Growth was driven mainly by continued strong sales of key products in the Group's oncology, virology, ophthalmology and inflammation portfolios, and of Roche Diagnostics' immunoassay systems.

GSK has received a non-prescription licence for alli (orlistat 60mg); the first time the European Commission has approved a non-prescription product for weight loss. The centrally approved marketing authorisation means GSK can introduce alli for adults with a BMI of 28 kg/m2 or more, in all 27 EU member countries.

Sanofi-aventis (EURONEXT: SAN and NYSE: SNY) has signed a binding agreement for the acquisition of BiPar Sciences, Inc., ("BiPar") a privately held US biopharmaceutical company, developing novel tumorselective approaches for the treatment of different types of cancers.

Abbott has announced financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2009. Diluted earnings per share, excluding specified items, were $0.73, reflecting 15.9 percent growth, and $0.03 above the mid-point of Abbott's previous first-quarter guidance range. Diluted earnings per share under Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) were $0.92, up 53.3 percent.

Roche will join forces with Novo Nordisk and the World Diabetes Foundation (WDF) in Novo Nordisk's five-year program called "Changing Diabetes in Children". Roche Diabetes Care will actively endorse humanitarian activities in this project which is starting in Tanzania, Uganda, Cameroon, Guinea-Conakry and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

On 8 April 2009, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Psychopharmacologic Drugs Advisory Committee (PDAC) conducted a review of the safety and efficacy of supplemental new drug applications (sNDA) for SEROQUEL XR (quetiapine fumarate) extended-release tablets proposed for the treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD) and generalised anxiety disorder (GAD).