Abbott's worldwide sales increased 4.1 percent to $10.4 billion, including a favorable 0.2 percent effect of foreign exchange. Emerging markets sales were $2.5 billion, representing nearly 25 percent of total sales, with particularly strong growth in Nutritionals, Vascular and Diagnostics.

Novo Nordisk will establish a type 1 diabetes R&D center in Seattle, US. The new center will combine Novo Nordisk's history of innovation and leadership in diabetes treatment with the company's growing expertise in immunotherapy.

Roche announced a grant to the Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University in New York City, which will be used for the establishment of a program to improve basic cancer care in Ethiopia. The grant funding comes from the Roche African Research Foundation.

Genzyme, a Sanofi company (EURONEXT: SAN and NYSE: SNY) and one of the world's leading biotechnology companies, and Veracyte, Inc., a molecular diagnostics company pioneering the emerging field of molecular cytology, announced a global co-promotion partnership to provide a comprehensive solution for thyroid patients.

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (NYSE: BMY) announced a donation of $6.9 million in 2011 to support the HealthWell Foundation, an independent non-profit organization that provides financial assistance to eligible individuals to cover coinsurance, copayments, healthcare premiums and deductibles for certain treatments.

Novartis received regulatory approval in China from the State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA) for Lucentis® (ranibizumab) to treat wet (neovascular) age-related macular degeneration (AMD), and is launching Galvus® (vildagliptin), an oral treatment for patients with type 2 diabetes approved in China as an add-on to metformin,

Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited ("Takeda", TSE: 4502) announced today strategic measures to better align its global workforce and consolidate site operations in order to integrate legacy Nycomed operations,