Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (NYSE: BMY) announced first quarter results that included double-digit earnings growth and important R&D milestones in its metabolics and hepatitis C (HCV) franchises. The Company also confirmed guidance for 2012.

Sales of the Bayer Group advanced by 6.8 percent in the first quarter, to a record EUR 10,056 million (Q1 2011: EUR 9,415 million). Adjusted for currency and portfolio effects, business expanded by 5.2 percent. The operating result (EBIT) climbed by 42.6 percent to EUR 1,637 million (Q1 2011: EUR 1,148 million).

AstraZeneca and The Medicines Company announced a global collaboration for their acute ischaemic heart disease compounds. The first part of this collaboration is a US co-promotion for AstraZeneca's oral antiplatelet medicine BRILINTA.

Amgen (NASDAQ:AMGN) reported total revenue increased 9 percent during the first quarter of 2012 to $4,048 million versus $3,706 million in the first quarter of 2011. Adjusted earnings per share (EPS) were $1.61 for the first quarter of 2012, an increase of 20 percent compared to $1.34 for the first quarter of 2011.

Novartis net sales declined by 2% (-1% cc) to USD 13.7 billion. Currency negatively impacted sales by 1% due to the strengthening of the dollar against many currencies. Products launched since 2007 drove the Group to strong volume growth of 5 percentage points versus the previous year.

Today, Novo Nordisk and the Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology at Oxford University jointly announced a new partnership to develop promising new drug candidates and identify novel biomarkers and treatment targets for rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune inflammatory diseases.

AstraZeneca and Ardea Biosciences, Inc. (Ardea) have entered into a definitive merger agreement, pursuant to which AstraZeneca will acquire Ardea, a San Diego, California-based biotechnology company focused on the development of small-molecule therapeutics.