The 1 Mission 1 Million - Getting to the Heart of Stroke initiative is launching a petition to call upon the World Health Organisation, its member states and health authorities worldwide to recognise atrial fibrillation as a risk factor for stroke and set clinical management targets that could save one million mothers, fathers, uncles, aunts and grandparents each year through better atrial fibrillation management, stroke prevention and education.

Roche (SIX: RO, ROG; OTCQX: RHHBY) will present important new data from studies of several of its cancer medicines at the 48th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), June 1 to 5, 2012, in Chicago.

Amgen (NASDAQ:AMGN) announced updated results from a Phase 2 study that showed treatment with blinatumomab (AMG 103) helped achieve a high-rate of complete response (CR) in 72 percent of adult patients with relapsed or refractory B-precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) treated in the study.

The Merck Group's first-quarter 2012 total revenues rose 3.2% to € 2,645 million compared to € 2,564 million in the first quarter of 2011. Sales for the Group increased 3.5% to € 2,564 million in first quarter compared to € 2,478 million in the year-ago quarter.

Pfizer Inc announced that the Phase 3 INTORSECT (B1771003) study, evaluating TORISEL® (temsirolimus) in patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC) whose disease had progressed on or after SUTENT® (sunitinib malate) therapy, did not meet the primary endpoint of prolonging progression free survival (PFS) when compared to sorafenib.

GlaxoSmithKline plc (GSK) has entered into an agreement to acquire those shares it does not currently own in Cellzome, a leader in the development and advancement of proteomics technologies, for £61 million (US$99 million) in cash.

The Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation today announced the expansion of its Together on Diabetes® initiative to China and India, pledging $15 million over five years to help these developing nations with rapidly growing numbers of type 2 diabetes patients.