Novo Nordisk plans to invest an estimated 2 billion US dollars over the next five years in new production facilities in Clayton, North Carolina, US and Måløv, Denmark. The expansions will help Novo Nordisk meet the increasing worldwide demand for its diabetes medicines.

AstraZeneca today announced that it has entered into a clinical trial collaboration with Peregrine Pharmaceuticals, Inc. to evaluate the safety and efficacy of Peregrine's investigational phosphatidylserine (PS)-signalling pathway inhibitor, bavituximab, in combination with AstraZeneca's investigational anti-PD-L1 immune checkpoint inhibitor, durvalumab (MEDI4736).

Novartis announced today that it has entered into an agreement to acquire all remaining rights to Ofatumumab from GlaxoSmithKline plc (GSK). Ofatumumab, a fully human monoclonal antibody which targets CD20, is being developed for relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) and other autoimmune indications.

Sanofi has entered a research collaboration and license agreement with Evotec and Apeiron Biologics to discover and develop first-in-class small molecule-based immuno-oncology therapies to treat solid and hematological cancers by enhancing the anti-tumor activity of the human immune system.

Boehringer Ingelheim and Circuit Therapeutics have announced a second collaboration using Circuit's proprietary optogenetics technology platform. This new three-year collaboration will focus on investigating metabolic disorders with the aim of developing novel medicines to improve the treatment of obesity and associated diseases.

Today, Roche welcomed 100 European university students from 34 countries studying science and art to the Salzburg Festival, the world's largest and most prestigious festival of music and drama. The annual Roche Continents week offers highly talented undergraduate and graduate students the opportunity to explore sources of inspiration at the intersection of science and music through structured workshops and challenges.

AstraZeneca and Heptares Therapeutics, the wholly-owned subsidiary of Sosei Group Corporation, have entered into a licensing agreement under which AstraZeneca will acquire exclusive global rights to develop, manufacture and commercialise the adenosine A2A receptor antagonist, HTL-1071, a small molecule immuno-oncology candidate, and potential additional A2A receptor-blocking compounds.