Business & Industry News Channel
Novartis has announced an additional strategic alliance with Science 37, a leader in decentralized clinical trial technology and design, to initiate up to 10 new clinical trials over the next three years. The studies will blend virtual and traditional models, with increasing degrees of decentralization towards a mostly "site-less" model. 
AstraZeneca announced that its global biologics research and development arm, MedImmune, is spinning out six molecules from its early-stage inflammation and autoimmunity programmes into an independent biotech company, Viela Bio. The new company will focus on developing medicines for severe autoimmune diseases by targeting the underlying causes of each disease. Novartis has entered into a collaboration with Pear Therapeutics to develop novel prescription digital therapeutics, software applications designed to effectively treat disease and improve clinical outcomes for patients. The collaboration brings together Novartis expertise in biomedical research and clinical development with Pear's leading experience in digital therapeutics design and implementation. 
Boehringer Ingelheim unveils a new phase of "More Than Scleroderma: The Inside Story", and launches the new patient website www.morethanscleroderma.com. The global initiative highlights the importance of understanding the 'inside story' of each individual living with scleroderma, also known as systemic sclerosis. 
Merck, a leading science and technology company, has announced ExploreBio, a pre-seed-investment vehicle by four investment funds targeted at early-stage companies in the biotechnology landscape in Israel. For this purpose the strategic corporate venture capital arm of Merck has partnered with Arkin Holdings, Pontifax and WuXi AppTec to create the € 20 million pre-seed investment vehicle. 
Roche (SIX: RO, ROG; OTCQX: RHHBY) and Flatiron Health, Inc. announced that the two partners have signed a definitive agreement under which Roche will acquire all shares of Flatiron Health, following on from an existing equity stake of 12.6%. The transaction is expected to close in the first half of 2018. 
Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (NYSE:BMY) and Nektar Therapeutics (Nasdaq:NKTR) announced the companies have executed a global strategic development and commercialization collaboration for Nektar's lead immuno-oncology program, NKTR-214. Under the collaboration, the companies will jointly develop and commercialize NKTR-214 in combination with Bristol-Myers Squibb's Opdivo (nivolumab) and Opdivo plus Yervoy (ipilimumab) in