European health authorities have supported changes proposed by Novartis to prescribing information for Galvus® (vildagliptin), opening the way for the formal regulatory approval of these changes as well as the launch in the European Union of this new oral treatment for patients with type 2 diabetes.

Pfizer Inc announced it has entered into an agreement to acquire CovX, a privately-held biotherapeutics company specializing in preclinical oncology and metabolic research and a developer of a biotherapeutics technology platform that will enhance Pfizer's biologic portfolio.

The European Commission has granted marketing authorization for ATRIPLA® (efavirenz 600 mg/emtricitabine 200 mg/tenofovir disoproxil fumarate 300 mg), formally approving ATRIPLA for commercialization in the 27 countries of the European Union, as well as in Norway and Iceland.

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (NYSE: BMY) and Avista Capital Partners, a leading private equity firm, announced today the parties have signed a definitive agreement for Avista to acquire Bristol-Myers Squibb Medical Imaging ("BMS MI"), a business unit of Bristol-Myers Squibb, for approximately $525 million of cash proceeds. BMS MI is a leading supplier of medical imaging products for nuclear and ultrasound cardiovascular diagnostic imaging procedures.

Novo Nordisk has entered a global licence agreement with French biotechnology company C2X Pharma and the French national institute for health and medical research (Inserm) for thrombin-activable factor X. The protein, which is in early preclinical development, is a novel type of bypassing agent, capable of propagating blood clotting independently of factors VIII and IX.

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (NYSE: BMY) and Gilead Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ: GILD) today announced an agreement to commercialize ATRIPLA® (efavirenz 600 mg/emtricitabine 200 mg/tenofovir disoproxil fumarate 300 mg) in Europe for the treatment of virologically suppressed adults with HIV-1 infection, subject to the product's approval by the European Commission.

AstraZeneca announced that it has filed patent infringement actions in United States District Court, District of Delaware, against seven generic drug manufacturers, which have submitted Abbreviated New Drug Applications (ANDAs) for Crestor™.