The International Trachoma Initiative (ITI), Pfizer Inc. and International Coalition for Trachoma Control (ICTC) partners announce Pfizer's donation of the 500 millionth dose of Zithromax® (azithromycin) Tablets, an antibiotic used to treat trachoma in certain countries.

International research led by University College London (UCL) as part of the 'Cities Changing Diabetes' partnership programme challenges current scientific understanding of the rapid rise of diabetes in cities. The findings suggest that in cities around the world, social and cultural factors play a far more important role in the spread of the epidemic than previously thought.

Boehringer Ingelheim is launching a new research and development (R&D) strategy and a five-year R&D investment programme. This new plan was announced at its R&D press conference in Berlin. The company pledges to invest a total of 11 billion euros in its new R&D programme over the next five years. Of the total investment, 5 billion euros will go to preclinical R&D with 1.5 billion euro thereof planned for collaborations with external partners.

Boehringer Ingelheim today announced new collaborations with four major scientific partners to enrich research and development of novel therapeutic approaches for patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), including the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Massachusetts General Hospital, Scripps Research Institute and Weill Cornell Medicine.

In response to the ongoing challenges patients face in paying their out-of-pocket costs for their prescription medicines, Pfizer announced that it will immediately double the allowable income level for its patient assistance program, so that even more patients in need could be eligible to receive their Pfizer medicines for free.

The new EVA digital workplace at Merck, a leading science and technology company, was recently recognized with multiple Ragan Intranet Awards, an internationally renowned competition. The platform received prizes in the "Best Internal Social Networking" and "Best Design" categories.

AstraZeneca announced today that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire ZS Pharma (NASDAQ: ZSPH), a biopharmaceutical company based in San Mateo, California. ZS Pharma uses its proprietary ion­-trap technology to develop novel treatments for hyperkalaemia (high potassium levels), a serious condition of elevated potassium in the bloodstream, typically associated with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and chronic heart failure (CHF).