Professor Meritxell Huch receives this year's Otto Bayer Award. The Otto Bayer Award is presented alternating with the Hansen Family Award every second year. The award recognizes leading scientists working in German-speaking countries for ground-breaking research in chemistry or biochemistry. The award with a prize money of EUR 75,000 was generously established in 1984 by a provision in the will of Professor Otto Bayer, a former Director of Research at Bayer AG.

GSK plc (LSE/NYSE: GSK) and Chimagen Biosciences (Chimagen), a privately held biotechnology company, announced an agreement for GSK to acquire CMG1A46, a clinical-stage dual CD19 and CD20-targeted T cell-engager (TCE), from Chimagen for $300 million upfront. GSK plans to develop and commercialise CMG1A46 with a focus on B cell-driven autoimmune diseases, such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and lupus nephritis (LN), with potential to expand into related autoimmune diseases.

Bayer has entered into an exclusive licensing agreement with Dewpoint Therapeutics, Inc. for a heart disease program to treat dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) patients, who are characterized through carrying specific mutations. This is the first option exercise under the research collaboration between Bayer and Dewpoint Therapeutics, Inc., which began in November 2019. It leverages Dewpoint's proprietary platform for biomolecular condensates and Bayer's small molecule R&D capabilities to develop new treatments for cardiovascular and renal diseases.

Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE) announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved ABRYSVO ® (Respiratory Syncytial Virus Vaccine), the company's bivalent RSV prefusion F (RSVpreF) vaccine, for the prevention of lower respiratory tract disease (LRTD) caused by RSV in individuals 18 through 59 years of age who are at increased risk for LRTD caused by RSV. ABRYSVO now offers the broadest RSV vaccine indication for adults, which previously included those 60 years and older.

Roche (SIX: RO, ROG; OTCQX: RHHBY) announced today positive topline one-year results from the open-label, single-arm phase IV ELEVATUM study evaluating Vabysmo® (faricimab) for the treatment of diabetic macular edema (DME) in people from racial and ethnic groups that are often underrepresented in clinical trials.(4)

The ELEVATUM study showed clinically meaningful improvement in vision and reduction in retinal fluid in people with diabetic macular edema (DME) treated with Vabysmo who identify as African American, Black, Hispanic and Latino.

Bayer has submitted a marketing authorization application (MAA) to the European Medicines Agency (EMA) for elinzanetant for the treatment of moderate to severe vasomotor symptoms (VMS, also known as hot flashes) associated with menopause or caused by adjuvant endocrine therapy.

Recent survey showed that 67% of European women reported vasomotor symptoms during menopause transition.

Novo Nordisk today announced a new global initiative to prevent obesity in children. The Childhood Obesity Prevention Initiative aims to accelerate the prevention of childhood obesity in disadvantaged urban communities globally. Together with a coalition of partners such as city governments, academic institutions and non-profit organisations, the initiative will support six cities in designing, implementing and evaluating tailored solutions focused on physical activity and healthy eating.