AstraZeneca and its global biologics research and development arm, MedImmune, today announced that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Orphan Drug Designation for the investigational anti-CD19 monoclonal antibody, MEDI-551, for the treatment of patients with neuromyelitis optica (NMO) as well as neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSD).

Sanofi Pasteur and MSD, known as Merck in the United States and Canada, today announced their intent to end their joint vaccines operations in Europe. Upon concluding their joint venture, both companies plan to integrate their respective European vaccine businesses into their operations, independently manage their product portfolios and pursue their own distinct growth strategies in Europe.

GSK has announced the winners of its third Discovery Fast Track Challenge. The programme is sponsored by GSK's Discovery Partnerships with Academia (DPAc) group to provide an opportunity for academic researchers in Europe and North America to collaborate with GSK and explore novel ideas for potential medicines.

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (NYSE:BMY) and LabCentral, an innovative, shared laboratory space designed as a launch pad for life-sciences and biotech startups, today announced an agreement in which Bristol-Myers Squibb has become a LabCentral platinum sponsor.

Merck, Pfizer and Verastem have entered into an agreement to evaluate avelumab*, an investigational fully human anti-PD-L1 IgG1 monoclonal antibody, in combination with Verastem's VS-6063**, an investigational focal adhesion kinase (FAK) inhibitor, in patients with advanced ovarian cancer.

Merck, a leading science and technology company, announced today that it has entered into a research collaboration focused on cancer metabolism with the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), located in Heidelberg, Germany.

AstraZeneca today announced it has entered into a licensing agreement with China Medical System Holdings Ltd (CMS) for the commercialisation rights in China to its calcium channel blocker, Plendil (felodipine). Plendil was first approved in China in 1995 for the treatment of hypertension or high blood pressure and in 2015 achieved Product Sales of $189 million.