Sales of the Bayer Group rose by 16.1 percent in the third quarter, to EUR 8,581 million (Q3 2009: EUR 7,392 million). Adjusted for currency and portfolio effects, business expanded by 8.4 percent. Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) - before special items - improved by 10.5 percent to EUR 1,656 million (Q3 2009: EUR 1,499 million).

Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE) announced the publication of data showing that 57 percent of ALK-positive advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients treated with crizotinib (PF-02341066), an investigational oral anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) inhibitor, had either a complete (one patient) or partial (46 patients) response to treatment.

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (NYSE: BMY) reported results for the third quarter of 2010. Highlights in the quarter included: the presentation of new data on investigational compounds in the diabetes and cardiovascular disease franchises at major medical meetings; the completion of important regulatory milestones in the oncology, diabetes and immunoscience franchises; the acquisition of ZymoGenetics; and double-digit EPS growth.

Merck Group third-quarter total revenues increased 25% to a record EUR 2,438 million from EUR 1,950 million in the year-ago quarter, boosted by the EUR 5.1 billion acquisition of Millipore Corporation, Billerica, Massachusetts, USA, on July 14.

AstraZeneca has commenced dosing patients in a global Phase IIb study to compare the efficacy and safety of AZD9773 (CytoFab) with placebo in adult patients with severe sepsis and/or septic shock receiving best supportive care. The Phase IIb study is a multicentre, randomised, double-blind, placebo controlled trial in 300 patients which will evaluate the efficacy of two intravenous dosing regimens of AZD9773.

Roche (SIX: RO, ROG; OTCQX: RHHBY) announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Herceptin (trastuzumab) in combination with chemotherapy (cisplatin plus either capecitabine or 5-fluorouracil [5-FU]) for HER2-positive metastatic cancer of the stomach or gastroesophageal junction, in men and women who have not received prior medicines for their metastatic disease.

Net sales rose 13% (+16% cc) to USD 12.6 billion with strong contributions from all businesses. Currency movements depressed the result by 3 percentage points. Rapid growth of recently launched products across the Group generated USD 2.3 billion in sales, representing 20%* of total sales.