Merck announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved two supplemental new drug applications (sNDA's) for SAPHRIS® (asenapine) sublingual tablets to expand the product's indications.

Abbott (NYSE: ABT) has completed its acquisition of Piramal's Healthcare Solutions business, propelling it to market leadership in the Indian pharmaceutical market and further accelerating the company's growth in emerging markets.

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (NYSE:BMY) and ZymoGenetics, Inc. (NASDAQ: ZGEN) announced today that the companies have signed a definitive agreement providing for the acquisition of ZymoGenetics by Bristol-Myers Squibb, for $9.75 per share in cash.

Roche (SIX: RO, ROG; OTCQX: RHHBY) announced the launch of a Group-wide Operational Excellence initiative. In view of mounting pressures to curb healthcare costs - especially in the United States and Europe - together with recent developments in late-stage projects in the Roche pipeline, this initiative aims to adapt cost structures and accelerate productivity improvements Group-wide.

Patient safety is our first priority. We strongly refute any allegation that our actions have put patients at risk. We have carried out an extensive research programme, involving more than 50,000 patients to analyse the safety and benefits of Avandia.

Novartis announced that scientists at the Novartis Institute for Tropical Diseases (NITD), in collaboration with researchers from the Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation (GNF), the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute and The Scripps Research Institute have discovered a novel compound that shows promise as a next generation treatment for drug resistant malaria.

GSK initially became aware of possible cases of narcolepsy following vaccination with the adjuvanted H1N1 pandemic vaccine Pandemrix through adverse event reports received by the Swedish Medical Products Agency, and subsequently via media reports in Finland.