Abbott has begun enrolling U.S. patients in the EXCEL (Evaluation of XIENCE PRIME™ or XIENCE V® versus Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery for Effectiveness of Left Main Revascularization) trial.

Merck KGaA announced that it signed two agreements for collaboration of its Merck Serono division with Ono Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Osaka, Japan to strengthen its multiple sclerosis and cancer franchises.

AstraZeneca today announced that the German reimbursement body, the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA), has published the Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Healthcare (IQWiG) preliminary assessment report regarding the medical benefit of BRILIQUE (ticagrelor).

Merck (NYSE: MRK), known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, launched its 2010 global corporate responsibility report, which emphasizes the importance of discovering better ways of doing business to benefit both society and its business.

Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited ("Takeda", TSE: 4502) announced it has completed its acquisition of Nycomed A/S ("Nycomed") for 9.6 billion Euro on a cash-free, debt-free basis and made Nycomed a wholly owned subsidiary of Takeda effective the same day.

Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE) and the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy® (NABP) are launching a new effort to draw attention to the risks associated with counterfeit prescription medicines and help patients learn how to safely buy medicines online.

Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY) announced the launch of a new open innovation platform designed to help build the company's pipeline of tomorrow and, from a philanthropic perspective, identify molecules that may have application for treating multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB).