Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (NYSE: BMY) announced solid results for the fourth quarter of 2010. This concludes a year in which the Company presented key data on marketed and investigational products across its pipeline, completed important regulatory milestones, continued its focus on strategic transactions and delivered on its commitment to drive shareholder value.

Revenue in the fourth quarter was down 3 percent at CER and declined by 4 percent on an actual basis as a result of the negative impact of exchange rate movements. A strong 5 percent revenue increase in the Rest of World was more than offset by the 12 percent decline in US revenue resulting from generic competition for several products and the absence of H1N1 pandemic influenza vaccine revenue.

Abbott (NYSE: ABT) announced financial results for the fourth quarter ended Dec. 31, 2010. Worldwide sales increased 13.4 percent to nearly $10 billion, including an unfavorable 0.4 percent effect of foreign exchange rates.

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (NYSE: BMY) and sanofi-aventis (EURONEXT: SAN, NYSE: SNY) announced that the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted the companies an additional six-month period of exclusivity to market PLAVIX® (clopidogrel bisulfate).

GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) announced the start of two global Phase III studies in advanced or metastatic melanoma patients with a BRAF V600 mutation. The studies will separately assess the efficacy and safety of two investigational agents, GSK2118436 and GSK1120212,

AstraZeneca has replied to the US Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Complete Response Letter (CRL) received for the ticagrelor (BRILINTA) New Drug Application (NDA) on 16 December 2010.

Genzyme Corp. (NASDAQ: GENZ) announced that it will build an additional manufacturing plant in Geel, Belgium, to support the long-term growth of Myozyme® and Lumizyme® for Pompe disease. The company held a ceremony in Geel to mark the start of construction of the new €250 million plant,