Bayer HealthCare and Onyx Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced that a planned review by an independent data monitoring committee (DMC) found that Nexavar® (sorafenib) tablets significantly improved overall survival, progression free survival and time to progression in an Asia-Pacific regional Phase III trial of patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the most common form of liver cancer. Based on the DMC's recommendation, the trial will be stopped to allow all patients to receive treatment with Nexavar. Data from this study will be submitted for presentation at an upcoming scientific meeting.

Pfizer today announced that Frank A. D'Amelio, a senior executive with almost three decades of extensive operating and financial experience at AT&T, Lucent Technologies and Alcatel-Lucent, including serving as both chief operating officer and chief financial officer at Lucent, will become Pfizer’s Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer effective in mid-September.

Novo Nordisk today announced clinical results from the second and third of five phase 3 studies with liraglutide - the once-daily human GLP-1 analogue. The two 26-week studies are part of the LEAD® (Liraglutide Effect and Action in Diabetes) programme and comprised 2,132 patients in total. The two studies investigated the effect of different doses of liraglutide in combination with a single oral antidiabetic drug. Patients inadequately controlled by one or two oral antidiabetic drugs could enter the studies.

GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) today announced that it has entered into an agreement with the UK Government to provide its pandemic influenza vaccine in the event of a flu pandemic. It is one of the largest contracts signed by GSK to date for its proprietary adjuvanted pandemic flu vaccine.

Ligand Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (NASDAQ:LGND) today announced financial results for the three months ended June 30, 2007 and provided a business update. The Company sold its commercial oncology product line in October 2006 and sold the AVINZA(R) product line in February 2007.

Santhera Pharmaceuticals (SWX: SANN, "Santhera"), a Swiss specialty pharmaceutical company with a focus on neuromuscular diseases, and Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited (TSE: 4502, "Takeda"), today announced they have extended their existing commercialization partnership for SNT-MC17 (INN: idebenone) in the European Union and Switzerland to cover the compound's second indication of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD). SNT-MC17 is currently in a Phase II clinical trial in Europe for DMD. Results of this trial are expected to be released later this year.

Sanofi-aventis announces that its half-year financial report for 2007 is now available. This document may be downloaded from the "Investors" page, under the heading "Regulated Information" found on the company’s corporate website.