Novartis announced today that the net sales were USD 48.5 billion (-2%, 0% cc) in the full year, as volume growth of 6 percentage points was offset by the negative impact of generic competition (-4 percentage points) and pricing (-2 percentage points). Growth Products contributed USD 17.1 billion or 35% of net sales, up 20% (USD) over the prior year.

AstraZeneca has provided an update on its Immuno-Oncology (IO) late-stage clinical development programme in 1st-line non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), including a refinement of the Phase III MYSTIC trial. The MYSTIC trial was initially designed to assess the benefit of durvalumab monotherapy and durvalumab and tremelimumab (durva + treme) combination therapy versus

Merck, a leading science and technology company, today announced it has entered into a collaboration and licensing agreement with Domain Therapeutics, Strasbourg, France, to explore the potential of adenosine inhibition in the development of novel immuno-oncology agents. This collaboration strengthens the combination strategy in immuno-oncology, and underscores Merck's science-driven approach to discovering and developing novel compounds through both internal capabilities and external collaborations.

Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY) and CoLucid Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASD: CLCD) have announced an agreement for Lilly to acquire CoLucid for $46.50 per share or approximately $960 million. This all-cash transaction will enhance Lilly's existing portfolio in pain management for migraine, while adding a potential near-term launch to its late-stage pipeline.

Boehringer Ingelheim announced that BI 695501, its adalimumab biosimilar candidate to Humira®*, has been accepted for regulatory review by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Sanofi and its vaccines global business unit Sanofi Pasteur confirmed the end of their vaccine joint-venture with MSD (known as Merck & Co. Inc., in the United States and Canada), Sanofi Pasteur MSD (SPMSD). Sanofi Pasteur and MSD will separately pursue their own vaccine strategies in Europe, integrating their respective European vaccines business into their operations.

AstraZeneca and Eli Lilly and Company have announced a worldwide agreement to co-develop MEDI1814, an antibody selective for amyloid-beta 42 (Aβ42), which is currently in Phase I trials as a potential disease-modifying treatment for Alzheimer's disease (AD).