Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccines division of Sanofi, has signed an agreement with the Human Vaccines Project Inc. to partially fund the non-profit, public-private partnership convening leading academic researchers and industrial partners to solve the primary problems impeding vaccine/immunotherapy development by "decoding" the human immune system.

Novartis has announced that it is adding to its diverse and deep immuno-oncology pipeline through a strategic alliance and licensing agreement with Surface Oncology. The agreement gives Novartis access to four pre-clinical programs that target regulatory T cell populations, inhibitory cytokines, and immunosuppressive metabolites in the tumor microenvironment.

Shire plc (LSE: SHP, NASDAQ: SHPG) and Baxalta Incorporated (NYSE: BXLT) announced that the boards of directors of both companies have reached an agreement under which Shire will combine with Baxalta.

Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE) has announced an expansion of its Research & Development (R&D) investment strategy to include early-stage companies on the leading edge of scientific innovation, providing them with both equity and access to resources for research in promising areas aligned with Pfizer's core interests.

AstraZeneca, along with its global biologics research and development arm, MedImmune, and Moderna Therapeutics announced a new collaboration to discover, co-develop and co-commercialise messenger RNA (mRNA) therapeutic candidates for the treatment of a range of cancers.

Merck (NYSE: MRK), known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, announced today that it has acquired IOmet, a privately-held UK-based drug discovery company focused on the development of innovative medicines for the treatment of cancer, with a particular emphasis on the fields of cancer immunotherapy and cancer metabolism.

Bayer will halve the price of its contraceptive implant Jadelle until 2023 for women living in poor countries around the world. According to the Reproductive Health Supply Coalition the demand for implants is increasing continuously in these countries.