Merck, a leading science and technology company, announced the winners of its seventh Biopharma Innovation Cup. The winning team received €20,000 for its innovative idea around the role of Natural Killer (NK) cells in cancer immunology. The Biopharma Innovation Cup is designed to support the professional development of post-graduate students and to foster innovation from a promising new generation of academic talent.

Novartis, a global leader in Immunology & Dermatology, confirmed today positive 5 year efficacy and safety results for Cosentyx® from a Phase III long-term extension study in patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis[1]. Data will be presented at a key medical congress in the second half of 2017.

Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE) announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Oncologic Drug Advisory Committee (ODAC) voted that the results of ALFA-0701 demonstrated a favorable risk:benefit profile for MYLOTARG (gemtuzumab ozogamicin) 3 mg/m2 on days 1, 4 and 7 added to chemotherapy for patients with newly-diagnosed CD33-positive acute myeloid leukemia (AML).

Novartis announced today that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee (ODAC) unanimously (10-0) recommended approval of CTL019 (tisagenlecleucel), an investigational chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CAR-T) therapy, for the treatment of relapsed or refractory (r/r) pediatric and young adult patients with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).

Amgen (NASDAQ: AMGN) and QB3@953 today announced that Darmiyan and Enable Biosciences have won the Amgen Golden Ticket at QB3@953. Each company receives one year of lab space at the QB3@953 life sciences incubator, additional facility benefits and connections to Amgen's scientific and business leaders to help advance their scientific programs.

Roche (SIX: RO, ROG; OTCQX: RHHBY) today announced that data from HAVEN 1, a phase III study evaluating once-weekly subcutaneous emicizumab prophylaxis (preventative) in adults and adolescents with haemophilia A with inhibitors, were published in The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM).

Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE) announced that the European Commission has approved BESPONSA® (inotuzumab ozogamicin) as monotherapy for the treatment of adults with relapsed or refractory CD22-positive B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). This indication includes treatment of adults with Philadelphia chromosome positive (Ph+) as well as Philadelphia chromosome negative (Ph-) relapsed or refractory B-cell precursor ALL.