Novo Nordisk announced that the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare has approved Victoza® for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. Victoza® is the brand name for liraglutide, the first Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 (GLP-1) analogue approved in Japan, developed for the treatment of type 2 diabetes.

In the face of the unprecedented earthquake that hit the island of Haiti, sanofi-aventis has committed 1 million Euros in financial aid to long-term reconstruction initiatives and the rehabilitation of the population of Haiti.

Patients in Japan will benefit from the approval of three new Novartis medicines - Equa® (vildagliptin), marketed as Galvus® in the European Union, for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, Exforge® (valsartan/amlodipine) for high blood pressure, and Afinitor® (everolimus) for advanced kidney cancer. These approvals reinforce the strong commitment of Novartis to helping patients in Japan, the company's second-largest pharmaceutical market.

Bristol-Myers Squibb is joining the world community in providing immediate help for survivors of the massive earthquake that struck Haiti on January 12. The company has already shipped a large donation of antibiotics through Project Hope, an organization providing direct relief to disaster victims.

Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY) will provide donations of medicines and money for victims of the catastrophic earthquake in Haiti on January 12. Lilly has initially pledged $250,000 in direct cash contributions.

Working directly with humanitarian partners to help address the growing health care crisis, Abbott (NYSE: ABT) is expanding its support for relief efforts in Haiti. The company will provide $2.5 million in grant funding and donations of critical pharmaceutical and nutritional products to humanitarian aid organizations.

Through its local organizations in countries throughout the region, Novartis is providing the equivalent of over USD 2.5 million in immediate emergency aid for victims of the recent earthquake in Haiti. The support includes both direct financial aid to relief agencies working in Haiti as well as donations of essential medicines, including antibiotic and pain relieving drugs.