AstraZeneca announced that BMJ Innovations has published the first collaborative definition of patient centricity for the pharmaceutical industry. The definition was co-developed with patients and caregivers using research led by AstraZeneca and patient community advocates to ensure a deep understanding of patient needs and values. Ten associated patient-centric principles were also identified and published in

Roche (SIX: RO, ROG; OTCQX: RHHBY) has announced that the phase III ALUR study met its primary endpoint, demonstrating that Alecensa® (alectinib) significantly improved progression-free survival (PFS) in people with anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-positive advanced (metastatic) non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who had progressed following treatment with one prior line of both platinum-based chemotherapy and crizotinib, compared with chemotherapy.

Findings from a post hoc analysis of the phase 3a SUSTAIN 2-4 trials demonstrated greater mean reductions in HbA1c and body weight with once-weekly semaglutide treatment compared to sitagliptin, exenatide extended release (ER) and insulin glargine U100 in adults with type 2 diabetes, across multiple background oral antidiabetic (OAD) treatment categories.

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (NYSE:BMY) today announced the first overall survival (OS) data from the Phase 3 CheckMate -067 clinical trial. With a minimum follow-up of 28 months, the median OS had not yet been reached in either of the two Opdivo treatment groups and was 20 months for the Yervoy monotherapy group (95% CI: 17.1-24.6). Opdivo in combination with Yervoy and as a monotherapy reduced the risk of death 45% [hazard ratio (HR) 0.55; 95% CI: 0.42-0.72; P<0.0001] and 37% (HR 0.63; 95% CI: 0.48-0.81; P<0.0001), respectively, compared with Yervoy alone.

AstraZeneca today announced that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted full approval for Tagrisso (osimertinib) 80mg once-daily tablets, for the treatment of patients with metastatic epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) T790M mutation-positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), as detected by an FDA-approved test, whose disease has progressed on or after an EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) therapy.

Merck, a leading science and technology company, today announced a development agreement with Avillion, a UK-based company focused on increasing R&D output through innovative models, for anti IL-17 A/F Nanobody®. Merck's Anti IL-17 A/F Nanobody® is an investigational therapy which has completed Phase I development, and is expected to begin Phase II in plaque psoriasis in 2017.

Daiichi Sankyo Company, Limited (Daiichi Sankyo), announced that it has entered into a new joint research agreement with the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) with regard to a new research program, the Hit-to-Lead Project, with the aim of developing drug treatments for two neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), leishmaniasis and Chagas disease.