Bayer HealthCare today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Office of Orphan Products Development has granted two separate orphan drug designations for its investigational, oral medication riociguat for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH).

Amgen (NASDAQ: AMGN) and ShanghaiTech University today announced the two organizations have entered into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to form a strategic partnership for the advancement of biopharmaceutical discovery and translational research in China. This agreement includes plans for Amgen to open a China research and development (R&D) center at ShanghaiTech University.

Novartis and Malaria No More announced today the debut of the Power of One campaign, encouraging people around the world to help end child deaths from malaria. Novartis will support the campaign financially and donate up to three million Coartem® Dispersible treatments to match antimalarials funded by the public.

GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) plc has announced a new four year contract with the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), part of the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), for the provision of its inhalation anthrax treatment, raxibacumab. The US government is purchasing the medicine as a counter measure against a potential bioterrorist attack.

Novartis commemorates World CML Day by announcing the latest milestone in its unique clinical trial program evaluating the potential for patients with Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic myeloid leukemia (Ph+ CML) to maintain undetectable levels of disease after stopping drug therapy - a concept called treatment-free remission. More than 100 study sites are now enrolling patients to the trial program.

The Bayer Cares Foundation and Caritas Argentina have laid the foundation for a new project to combat the Chagas disease in Argentina. Chagas disease is still an indication with a high unmet medical need because the minor, flu-like symptoms are rather non-specific and therefore often misinterpreted.

At the forthcoming Annual Shareholders Meeting on 4 March 2014, the Roche Board of Directors will propose Christoph Franz to be elected as Chairman of the Board. Christoph Franz is thus nominated to succeed Franz B. Humer, who announced at the last shareholder meeting that he would not be standing for re-election.