Boehringer Ingelheim and China Southeast University Institute of Life Sciences have announced the start of a joint research project to develop new treatment approaches for hearing loss through regeneration of hair cells from inner ear stem cells. The new collaboration combines the expertise of Professor Renjie Chai, one of the worldwide leaders in the field of hearing loss,

AstraZeneca and its global biologics research and development arm, MedImmune, will continue the oncology momentum built during 2016 with a strong end-of-year presence at three major congresses. In total, 50 abstracts - including 15 oral presentations - have been accepted across:

GlaxoSmithKline plc (LSE/NYSE: GSK) has announced the regulatory submission of a Marketing Authorisation Application (MAA) to the European Medicines Agency (EMA) seeking approval for its candidate shingles vaccine, ShingrixTM, for the prevention of herpes zoster (shingles) in people aged 50 years or over.

Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY) today announced that solanezumab did not meet the primary endpoint in the EXPEDITION3 clinical trial, a phase 3 study of solanezumab in people with mild dementia due to Alzheimer's disease (AD).

Shire plc (LSE: SHP, NASDAQ: SHPG) has announced that it will expand its operations in Cambridge, Massachusetts, establishing a rare disease innovation hub and increasing its footprint in the heart of Kendall Square. Shire and BioMed Realty have signed a lease for a 343,000-square-foot building at 500 Kendall Street. Shire’s lease begins in Q3, 2018, with occupancy anticipated for Q1, 2019.

Novartis today announced it has acquired Selexys Pharmaceuticals Corporation, a company specializing in development of therapeutics in certain hematologic and inflammatory disorders. Novartis exercised its right to acquire Selexys following receipt of results of the SUSTAIN study, a Phase II trial evaluating the use of SelG1, an anti-P-selectin antibody, in the reduction of vaso-occlusive pain crises in patients with sickle cell disease (SCD).

Roche (SIX: RO, ROG; OTCQX: RHHBY) has launched the global cancer immunotherapy Centers of Research Excellence (imCORE™) Network. This network brings together many of the world's leading scientific and clinical experts in cancer immunotherapy to collaborate in investigating the most promising new treatment approaches.