H. Lundbeck A/S (Lundbeck) strengthens its pipeline of pharmaceuticals in clinical development by initiating clinical phase I studies with Lu AF11167 in order to investigate safety, tolerability and the pharmacokinetic profile of the drug in humans.

Merck KGaA announced that in order to provide assistance to the Japanese people following the earthquake and tsunami that devastated parts of their country, the company will donate a total of 100 million YEN (approximately EUR 875,000).

AstraZeneca has been informed that the UK and US governments' tax authorities have agreed to the terms of an Advance Pricing Agreement regarding transfer pricing arrangements for AstraZeneca's US business for the 13-year period from 2002 to the end of 2014.

GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) announced that it will no longer pursue global approval (marketing authorisation) for the use of Avodart™ (dutasteride) to reduce the risk of prostate cancer.

Novartis completed the transaction to acquire an 85 percent stake in the Chinese vaccines company Zhejiang Tianyuan Bio-Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. This acquisition provides Novartis with an expanded presence in the Chinese vaccines market

Sanofi-aventis (EURONEXT: SAN and NYSE: SNY) announced the official signing of a cooperation agreement between Fovea Pharmaceuticals, its Ophthalmology Division, and the Vision Institute, one of the main eye disease research centers in Europe, for research in the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of ocular diseases.

A new study showed that SPIRIVA® HandiHaler® (tiotropium bromide inhalation powder), a long-acting anticholinergic, was significantly more effective at preventing Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) exacerbations than salmeterol HFA-MDI (hydrofluororalkane-metered dose inhaler).