NEW ORLEANS & Ochsner Health System, Louisiana's largest non-profit academic healthcare system, and Pfizer Inc (NYSE:PFE) have entered into a multi-year strategic alliance to develop innovative models for clinical trials.

Novartis announced that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Egaten® (triclabendazole) for the treatment of fascioliasis in patients six years of age and older. This makes Egaten the only FDA-approved drug for people with this disease and is expected to facilitate broader access to this important drug not only in the US, but also in affected countries worldwide.

Bayer has exercised its option, under a change-in-control clause in the collaboration agreement with Loxo Oncology, to obtain the exclusive licensing rights for the global development and commercialization, including the U.S., for larotrectinib (VITRAKVI®) and BAY 2731954 (LOXO-195). Both compounds are being developed globally for the treatment of adult and pediatric patients with advanced solid tumors harboring NTRK gene fusions.

Boehringer Ingelheim (Canada) Ltd. and IBM Canada announced at the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) conference in Orlando, Florida, their plans to explore the use of blockchain technology in clinical trials. This collaboration underscores Boehringer Ingelheim's commitment to healthcare innovation and marks the first time that blockchain technology will be explored in a clinical trial setting in Canada.

Merz, a global leader in aesthetics and neurotoxins, showed substantial growth across both of its strategic focus areas at the end of its most recently completed fiscal year 2017/18. Merz's aesthetics and specialty neurology businesses both increased by 19 percent versus prior year, excluding foreign exchange impact. Together, these two areas now account for 67 percent of the company's healthcare revenue.

In conjunction with World Cancer Day, the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) and Pfizer Inc. announce the third round of the Seeding Progress And Resources for the Cancer Community (SPARC): Metastatic Breast Cancer (MBC) Challenge: their pioneering grants initiative designed to

Merck, a leading science and technology company, today announced a $70 million investment to expand its state of the art research and development (R&D) facility in Billerica, Massachusetts. The new building will span 145,000 square feet, offering new laboratory and collaborative working space to accommodate approximately 400 new and current R&D employees focused on advancing science in oncology, immuno-oncology and immunology.