European consumers have been a long-neglected piece of the strategic puzzle for most marketers at health and pharmaceutical companies. Yet signs increasingly point to the degree to which European consumers are, in fact, researching health information and treatment options, and ultimately taking action as a result of those information searches.

Collexis (OTCBB: CLXS), a leading developer of high-definition search and discovery software, and their German partner, SyynX Solutions, announced they will preview a new life sciences social networking site to representatives from global book publishing and multimedia companies at the Frankfurt Book Fair in Frankfurt, Germany.

Thomson Scientific, part of The Thomson Corporation (NYSE: TOC; TSX: TOC) and leading provider of information solutions to the worldwide research and business communities, announced the launch of Enterprise Alert Manager, an integrated RSS management and collaboration solution designed to simplify information distribution across an organization by allowing for easy deployment while reducing email load and network strain.

Finalising a review of the liver safety of systemic formulations of medicines containing nimesulide, the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) has concluded that the benefits of these medicines outweigh their risks, but that there is a need to limit the duration of use and to restrict their use to ensure that the risk of patients developing liver problems is kept to a minimum.

International experts in the field of human virus research and vaccine development have teamed up to develop a pandemic influenza vaccine. The aim of the EU-funded FluVac project is to conduct research and development (R&D) into a novel pandemic influenza vaccine that could be used as a potential emergency vaccination. The project partners, recently awarded a grant of €3.5 million under the EU's Sixth Framework Programme (FP6), plan to deliver a prototype vaccine within four years.

The Commission launches a public consultation on the future of pharmaceuticals for human use in Europe. The pharmaceutical sector has been and remains a key strategic sector in Europe. The future of this sector is a crucial matter for the EU.

Scientists have discovered the brain region which controls whether excess energy should be stored as fat or burned in our muscles. The researchers hope that their findings will lead to the development of new treatments for obesity. The work, which was partly funded by the EU, is published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.