Celgene Corporation (Nasdaq: CELG) and Pharmion Corporation (Nasdaq: PHRM) jointly announced the signing of a definitive merger agreement pursuant to which Celgene has agreed to acquire Pharmion. Under the terms of the merger agreement, Celgene will acquire all of the outstanding shares of Pharmion common stock for $72.00 per share payable in a combination of cash and shares of Celgene common stock. The transaction is expected to be slightly dilutive to earnings in 2008 and accretive in 2009 and beyond.

New clinical data for the Novartis development vaccine Menveo(TM) [2] (MenACWY-CRM) show an excellent and broad immune response in infants as young as six months of age against four common serogroups (or types) of meningococcal meningitis, a potentially fatal bacterial disease involving inflammation of membranes around the brain and spinal cord.

Pfizer Inc (NYSE: PFE) announced today it has entered into an agreement to acquire Coley Pharmaceutical Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: COLY), a publicly-held biopharmaceutical company specializing in vaccine adjuvant technology and a new class of immunomodulatory drug candidates designed to fight cancers, allergy and asthma disorders, and autoimmune diseases.

Abbott (NYSE: ABT) is supporting Operation Smile's global initiative to help bring smiles to kids with facial deformities by providing treatment to an estimated 5,000 children in need of surgeries. The initiative, which is part of Operation Smile's 25th anniversary celebration - World Journey of Smiles - takes place this month and consists of 40 medical missions across 25 countries. Abbott has donated 1,700 bottles of its anesthesia product, valued at almost $500,000, for the surgeries.

The independent judging panel of the Eloquium Award has today named three journalists as winners of the 2007 competition for excellence in reporting on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) the fastest growing cause of death in the world's most advanced economies. Currently, 600 million people live with COPD which is projected to become the world’s third-leading cause of death by 2020.[1,2]

Roche announced licensing and settlement agreements with Ortho-Clinical Diagnostics, Inc. and Novartis Vaccines & Diagnostics in the field of Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) Diagnostics. Under the terms of the licensing agreement Ortho-Clinical Diagnostics, Inc. and Novartis Vaccines & Diagnostics granted Roche Diagnostics a worldwide royalty-bearing license under their broad patent portfolio for Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) in the field of immunodiagnostics.

14 November is World Diabetes Day (WDD). This year is the first time that WDD is officially recognised by the United Nations. Novo Nordisk is celebrating the day with activities all over the world, from the UN building in New York to the pyramids of Egypt.