AstraZeneca and Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced a strategic collaboration to discover and develop antisense therapies for cardiovascular, metabolic and renal diseases. The new collaboration builds on a broad existing relationship between the two companies and supports AstraZeneca's strategic approach in these therapeutic areas using novel RNA-targeted treatments.

Merck, a leading company for innovative, top-quality high-tech products in healthcare, life science and performance materials, is calling for national and international start-ups to apply for funding of innovative ideas by August 14, 2015.

The Bayer Group continued to grow sales in the second quarter of 2015 and significantly increased earnings. Sales of HealthCare increased by 28.0 percent (Fx & portfolio adj. 8.3 percent) to EUR 5,908 million in the second quarter (Q2 2014: EUR 4,615 million).

AstraZeneca today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement with Genzyme to divest Caprelsa® (vandetanib), a rare disease medicine. Caprelsa was granted Orphan Drug Designation by the US FDA in 2005 and is currently available in 28 countries for the treatment of aggressive and symptomatic medullary thyroid carcinoma, with global product sales of $48 million in 2014.

Amgen (NASDAQ:AMGN) announced that the European Commission (EC) has granted marketing authorization for Repatha™ (evolocumab), the first proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) inhibitor to be approved in the world, for the treatment of patients with uncontrolled cholesterol who require additional intensive low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) reduction.

AstraZeneca has completed its agreement with Tillotts Pharma AG (Tillotts), part of the Zeria Group, for the divestment of global rights, outside the US, to Entocort ® (budesonide), a gastroenterology medicine for patients with mild to moderate Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.

Novartis antimalarial medicine Coartem® 80/480mg has received World Health Organization (WHO) prequalification, making it the first and only high strength (80/480mg) Artemisinin-based Combination Therapy (ACT) antimalarial treatment available for public sector procurement.