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.

The Board of Directors of Merck & Co., Inc., meeting today, declared a quarterly dividend of $0.38 per share on the Company's common stock for the fourth quarter of 2007. The $0.38 per share dividend is payable on Oct. 1, 2007 to stockholders of record at the close of business on Sept. 7, 2007.

The pharmaceutical company Boehringer Ingelheim again posted good business results for the first six months of 2007. The company grew by 2.1% in euro terms compared to EUR 5,296 million in 2006, achieving net sales of EUR 5,407 million. Currency-adjusted growth was 7.5%.

Boehringer Ingelheim and Pfizer today announced successful completion of the approval process for authorisation to market Spiriva® Respimat® in the European Union for people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). This positive opinion for the Spiriva® Respimat® is the cornerstone of all national approvals in 25 countries of the European Union. Spiriva® Respimat® is a propellant-free, new generation inhaler that combines innovative technology with the proven efficacy of Spiriva® (tiotropium).

Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH announced today that enrollment of the POTENT study will begin in August 2007. POTENT will compare the efficacy and safety of Aptivus® (tipranavir) versus darunavir, both with ritonavir as part of combination antiretroviral therapy. POTENT will include 800 treatment-experienced patients in 15 countries. The primary endpoint is time to virologic failure, with a secondary endpoint of virologic response at 48 weeks of treatment.

The Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) in London recommended the approval of the Merz- developed product Botulinum neurotoxin Type A. Merz is expecting approval in ten European countries within the next few months. The company already received approval in Denmark and Sweden.