Sanofi-aventis (EURONEXT: SAN and NYSE: SNY) and Ascendis Pharma (Ascendis) announced a global licensing and patent transfer agreement on Ascendis' proprietary TransCon Linker and Hydrogel carrier technology, which allows for a drug compound to be released in the body in a precise, time-controlled fashion, creating a long-acting effect.

Pfizer Inc (NYSE: PFE) has submitted supplemental applications to both the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) to expand the use of Prevnar 13®* to adults 50 years of age and older for the prevention of pneumococcal disease caused by the 13 serotypes contained in the vaccine.

Emisphere Technologies, Inc. (OTC BB: EMIS) and Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE: NVO) have entered into an exclusive Development and Licence Agreement to develop and commercialise oral formulations of Novo Nordisk's insulins, which have the potential of treating diabetes, using Emisphere's Eligen® Technology.

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (NYSE:BMY) and Oncolys BioPharma Inc., a privately held biotechnology company based in Japan, have signed a definitive agreement under which Bristol-Myers Squibb will acquire exclusive worldwide rights to manufacture, develop and commercialize festinavir, a once-a-day, orally available nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI) in Phase II development for HIV.

Genzyme Corporation (NASDAQ: GENZ) provided an extensive briefing on the market potential of alemtuzumab for multiple sclerosis at an event for investors and analysts in New York. During the two-hour presentation, the company shared internal market research and independent, third-party analysis defining the unmet needs today in MS,

EpiTherapeutics and Abbott (NYSE: ABT) announced a collaboration agreement to develop new anti-cancer drugs by making small-molecule inhibitors against selected epigenetic oncology targets. Under the terms of the agreement EpiTherapeutics receives an up-front payment and will receive funding of research activities at EpiTherapeutics.

Merck KGaA has signed a worldwide research and development agreement with sanofi-aventis U.S. Inc., under which its division Merck Serono and sanofi-aventis U.S. Inc. will collaboratively investigate novel experimental combinations of agents that could block specific pathways in cancer cells.