Pfizer Inc. will extend its donation of the antibiotic Zithromax® (azithromycin) to the International Trachoma Initiative through 2025, building on the company's 20-years of work to help eliminate the world's leading infectious cause of blindness. Approximately 163 million people are at risk of developing the disease and this recommitment ensures that Pfizer, through the International Trachoma Initiative (ITI), will continue to provide trachoma endemic countries with donated antibiotics that are a critical component of the global strategy to eliminate this neglected tropical disease (NTD).

AstraZeneca and Eli Lilly and Company (Lilly) are discontinuing the global Phase III clinical trials of lanabecestat, an oral beta secretase cleaving enzyme (BACE) inhibitor, for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. The decision is based on recommendations by an independent data monitoring committee (IDMC), which concluded that both the AMARANTH trial, in early Alzheimer's disease, and the DAYBREAK-ALZ trial, in mild Alzheimer's disease dementia, were not likely to meet their primary endpoints upon completion and therefore should be stopped for futility.

The Oklahoma Health Care Authority (OHCA), Pharmacy Management Consultants (PMC) and Amgen (NASDAQ:AMGN) announced a new collaborative agreement to help improve clinical outcomes, experience and satisfaction for Oklahoma's 796,000 SoonerCare (Oklahoma Medicaid) members. Results from the projects also could lay the groundwork for innovative ways to look at patient outcomes and measures for medication reimbursement.

Roche (SIX: RO, ROG; OTCQX: RHHBY) announced that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted the company's supplemental Biologics License Application (sBLA) and granted Priority Review for Hemlibra® (emicizumab-kxwh) for adults and children with haemophilia A without factor VIII inhibitors. The sBLA is based on data from the phase III HAVEN 3 study.

Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE) today announced it plans to invest $600 million in biotechnology and other emerging growth companies through Pfizer Ventures, the company’s venture investment vehicle. In addition to increased funding, Pfizer will extend its leadership as a venture capital investor with an expanded team that leverages expertise across venture capital investing, business development, drug discovery and clinical development.

Novartis announced the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has recommended approval for Aimovig® (erenumab) for the prevention of migraine in adults who have at least four migraine days per month. The World Health Organization (WHO) has listed migraine as one of the top ten causes of years lived with disability worldwide[1].

The Pfizer Foundation announced a new $5 million grant commitment to initiatives in low- and middle-income countries that provide family planning access and education for women and men at the same time children are routinely vaccinated. These new grants build on The Pfizer Foundation's existing grant program by providing a second round of funding to international nongovernmental organizations (INGOs) in five African countries where different barriers exist for women to access family planning services, bringing the total program funding to $11.7 million to date.