Bayer and Partners HealthCare's founding members Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) and Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) today announced the launch of a joint lab to research new drug candidates to treat chronic lung diseases. The joint lab will host scientists from all three parties and Bayer is investing more than USD 30 million to fund joint research projects over the next five years.

AstraZeneca has amended its collaboration agreement with Ironwood Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Ironwood) in China mainland, China Hong Kong and China Macau for Linzess (linaclotide), a first-in-class new treatment for patients with irritable bowel syndrome with constipation (IBS-C).

Teenagers face many challenges, and growing up with a chronic skin disease called atopic dermatitis (AD) can impact the ups and downs and transitions to young adulthood. Sanofi and Regeneron, in partnership with the National Eczema Association (NEA), today launched the next phase of Understand AD, a disease awareness initiative focused on educating people about moderate-to-severe AD.

AstraZeneca announced that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Fast Track designation for the development of Farxiga (dapagliflozin) to reduce the risk of cardiovascular (CV) death, or the worsening of heart failure, in adults with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) or preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF).

Roche (SIX: RO, ROG; OTCQX: RHHBY) today announced longer-term data from the Phase III open-label extension studies of OPERA I, OPERA II and ORATORIO showed that patients who were treated with OCREVUS® (ocrelizumab) continuously for six years or more had reduced risk of disability progression in relapsing MS (RMS) and primary progressive MS (PPMS).

Abbott (NYSE: ABT) announced that new research, published in the journal Circulation, found its algorithm could help doctors in hospital emergency rooms more accurately determine if someone is having a heart attack or not, so that they can receive faster treatments or be safely discharged.

Roche (SIX: RO, ROG; OTCQX: RHHBY) today announced new data from OCREVUS® (ocrelizumab) trials in relapsing and primary progressive multiple sclerosis (MS). The analyses provide new insights into the biology of MS that advance the understanding of disease progression, with the goal of identifying and slowing disease progression as early as possible to preserve patient function over the long term.