Merck Serono, the biopharmaceutical division of Merck, has announced a five-year strategic partnership with the Lead Discovery Center GmbH (LDC), Dortmund, Germany, a renowned translational research organization. This collaboration integrates the expertise and resources of both organizations to expedite the discovery of promising lead structures and to optimize the development of therapeutic candidates in areas of high unmet medical need.

AstraZeneca today announced plans to invest £120 million ($190 million) in a new facility at its global manufacturing site in Macclesfield, UK, to continue production of Zoladex, an injectable treatment for patients with prostate cancer. The investment secures 300 existing Zoladex jobs at the site and will create over 200 temporary jobs during the construction and commissioning phase between now and early 2017.

GSK has announced the selection of eight winners in its first Discovery Fast Track competition, designed to translate academic research into starting points for new potential medicines. The contest attracted 142 entries across 17 therapeutic areas from 70 universities, academic research institutions, clinics and hospitals in the US and Canada.

The Amgen Foundation has announced $2.5 million in new grants for the Amgen Biotech Experience, an innovative science education program, bringing the total committed to nearly $8 million since the program's inception in 1990. The Amgen Biotech Experience provides a real-world biotech lab experience to middle and high schools in Amgen's U.S. and United Kingdom (U.K.) communities and will engage more than 50,000 students this year.

H. Lundbeck A/S (Lundbeck) reports revenue of DKK 11,671 million for the first nine months of 2013, up by 7% versus 2012. Profit from operations (EBIT) grew by 7% to DKK 1,531 million during the first nine months, corresponding to an EBIT margin of 13%. In the third quarter Lundbeck recognised the remaining divestiture gain to Recordati of DKK 112 million and the provision related to the Fit-for-the-Future programme of DKK 200 million.

Oxford University and Novo Nordisk announced the establishment of an international fellowship programme that aims to support the career and scientific development of young, exceptional research talent within diabetes. The partnership will establish a number of postdoctoral fellowship opportunities that will be hosted by Oxford University and funded by Novo Nordisk.

Roche (SIX: RO, ROG; OTCQX: RHHBY) and Polyphor Ltd., a privately held pharmaceutical company, have entered into an exclusive worldwide license agreement to develop and commercialise Polyphor's investigational macrocycle antibiotic, POL7080, for patients suffering from bacterial infections caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa.