Pfizer receives EU marketing authorization for INLYTA® (Axitinib)
Pfizer Inc. announced today that the European Commission (EC) has granted marketing authorization for INLYTA® (axitinib) for the treatment of adult patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC), a type of kidney cancer, after failure of prior treatment with sunitinib or a cytokine. INLYTA, a kinase inhibitor, is an oral therapy that was designed to selectively inhibit vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) receptors 1, 2 and 3,(1a) which are proteins that can influence tumor growth, vascular angiogenesis and progression of cancer (tumor spread).(2a) 
Further data from the Novartis once-daily chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) clinical trial programs were presented at the European Respiratory Society (ERS) Congress. Overall, Novartis presented 14 abstracts, including data from the investigational QVA149 (fixed-dose combination of indacaterol maleate / glycopyrronium bromide) IGNITE Phase III clinical trial program, the glycopyrronium bromide (Seebri® Breezhaler®) GLOW Phase III clinical trial program and the indacaterol maleate (Onbrez® Breezhaler®) INERGIZE Phase III/IV clinical trial program. 
AstraZeneca announced that Pascal Soriot has been appointed as the company’s Chief Executive Officer. Pascal Soriot will take on his new responsibilities and join the AstraZeneca PLC Board as an Executive Director on 1 October 2012. Simon Lowth will remain as AstraZeneca's Interim Chief Executive Officer until Pascal Soriot joins. At that point, Simon Lowth will resume his responsibilities as Chief Financial Officer and will continue to serve as an Executive Director on the AstraZeneca PLC Board. 
In the absence of a head-to-head study, a comprehensive analysis published in Thrombosis and Hemostasis,1 looks into the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of Pradaxa® for stroke prevention in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation in an indirect comparison to rivaroxaban. The analysis, based on two large scale trials including more than 32.000 patients combined, suggests that patients treated with Pradaxa® may have lower rates of ischaemic stroke and intracranial haemorrhage (ICH), and also accumulate lower costs from acute care and long-term follow-up over their lifetime than patients treated with rivaroxaban. 
Merck announced today that it has entered into definitive agreements to acquire Biochrom AG located in Berlin, Germany. The company, with approximately 60 employees and sales of approximately € 13 million in 2011, specializes in the production and marketing of cell-culture media and buffer solutions. The parties agreed not to disclose the purchase price. The acquisition is subject to customary closing conditions such as the approval of the respective antitrust authority. Closing of the transaction is expected in the fourth quarter of 2012. 
Abbott announced that the XIENCE Xpedition™ Everolimus Eluting Coronary Stent System received CE Mark in Europe for the treatment of coronary artery disease. The company is launching the product immediately in CE Mark countries. XIENCE Xpedition features a new stent delivery system designed to optimize acute performance, particularly in challenging coronary anatomies. XIENCE Xpedition is supported by the robust clinical evidence of the XIENCE family of stents, including data from more than 45,000 patients across more than 100 studies with long-term outcomes out to five years. 
Bayer HealthCare announced today that new data from the clinical development programme for its oral anticoagulant Xarelto® (rivaroxaban) will be presented at the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Congress 2012 in Munich, Germany, August 25-29, 2012. These data will provide further insights into the clinical utility of rivaroxaban for patients at risk of dangerous blood clots across multiple venous and arterial thromboembolic (VAT) conditions.