AstraZeneca and MedImmune, its global biologics research and development arm, head to the 2018 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting in Chicago, US, 1-5 June 2018, with an expanded portfolio in Oncology. Having achieved 16 regulatory approvals across major markets (US, EU, Japan and China), AstraZeneca will be sharing its R&D momentum at ASCO with seven "Best of ASCO" presentations and 14 oral presentations from a total of 91 accepted abstracts.

Boehringer Ingelheim announced data which add to the growing body of evidence that show Spiolto® (tiotropium/olodaterol) Respimat® enables greater physical activity in patients living with COPD. VESUTO® and OTIVATO® data were presented during the American Thoracic Society meeting (ATS) and PHYSACTO® data was recently published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE) today announced that it has started a Phase 1/2 trial of its respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine candidate in healthy adult volunteers. RSV is a common respiratory virus that affects the lungs and airways, with significant impact on young children and older adults. RSV affects 33 million children globally and leads to approximately 120,000 childhood deaths every year.

Novartis will present data from across its oncology portfolio at the upcoming 54th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) to be held June 1-5 in Chicago; and the 23rd Annual Congress of the European Hematology Association (EHA), scheduled for June 14-17 in Stockholm.

Novo Nordisk today announced an increased commitment to stem cell-based therapies and an expansion of the focus on type 1 diabetes into other serious chronic diseases. This has been made possible through an exclusive collaboration with the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) in which a first milestone in the development of human embryonic stem cell lines has been reached.

Sanofi (Euronext: SAN; NYSE: SNY) and Ablynx (Euronext Brussels and Nasdaq: ABLX) today announced the results of the initial tender offer period of Sanofi's previously announced tender offers to acquire all of the outstanding shares (including shares represented by American Depositary Shares ("ADSs")), warrants and convertible bonds (together, the "Securities") of Ablynx.

AstraZeneca and MedImmune, its global biologics research and development arm, today announced top-line results from the GALATHEA Phase III trial for Fasenra (benralizumab) in patients with moderate to very severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The trial did not meet the primary endpoint of a statistically-significant reduction of exacerbations in patients with COPD.