As a pioneer when it comes to collaborating with digital health start-ups, Bayer is now taking the next step. Instead of one-off startup programs, it is now focusing on collaborating in specific digital health focus areas, e.g. digital therapeutics, AI for drug discovery, and patient engagement platforms to name a few. To do this, Bayer is combining the G4A programs and concentrating on longer-term collaborations and investments.

Roche (SIX: RO, ROG; OTCQX: RHHBY) announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Tecentriq® (atezolizumab), in combination with carboplatin and etoposide (chemotherapy), for the initial (first-line) treatment of adults with extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC).

Merck, a leading science and technology company, today announced the signing of a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding with Chinese biotech company GenScript for a strategic alliance focusing on plasmid and viral vector manufacturing.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Orphan Drug Designation (ODD) for saracatinib, a potential new medicine for the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a type of lung disease that results in scarring (fibrosis) of the lungs. Saracatinib is an inhibitor of src kinase which regulates broad cell functions including cell growth and cell differentiation.

At the Annual Meeting of the Global Chagas Disease Coalition in Barcelona, Spain, Novartis announced that it is joining the Coalition as a member contributor. In addition, the company announced its commitment to launch a multinational, prospective, randomized study with heart failure drug, Entresto® (sacubitril / valsartan), in people with chronic Chagas cardiomyopathy, one form of heart failure with reduced ejection fraction.

Merck, a leading science and technology company, today announced a collaboration agreement with Iktos, for the use of its generative modelling artificial intelligence (AI) technology, in order to facilitate the rapid and cost-effective discovery and design of promising new compounds.

Sandoz, a Novartis division, announced the winners of the 2019 Sandoz Healthcare Access Challenge (HACk). Sandoz HACk invites entrepreneurs and innovators in the field of digital technology to submit ideas with the potential to complement - or even positively disrupt - established approaches to driving access to healthcare.