"Advances in Renal Cancer" Journalists' Award 2011 announced
Renal cell carcinoma is one of the most common cancers worldwide. However, there still is a lack of awareness of the disease. Bayer HealthCare and the Kidney Cancer Association (KCA) have therefore announced the European "Advances in Renal Cancer" Journalists' Award 2011. For the third time, the prize honors journalistic work, in which journalists cover the issue of renal cancer in a critical, but yet objective manner. It is endowed with the sum of Euro 7,500 and awarded to reports which have been published in print media, radio, television, or film. 
Novartis delivered a strong performance in the second quarter of 2010 - with the rapid expansion of recently launched products and important regulatory approvals achieved for new medicines - as the Group made progress on its agenda on innovation, growth and productivity. Net sales rose 11% (+12% cc) to USD 11.7 billion with currency movements depressing the result by 1 percentage point. Rejuvenation of the portfolio continued with recently launched products generating sales of USD 2.4 billion - 21% of total sales including A(H1N1) pandemic vaccines. 
Merck KGaA announced that the Russian Federal Service on Surveillance in Healthcare and Social Development has become the first government agency to grant marketing approval to Cladribine Tablets for the treatment of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS). Cladribine Tablets will be available in Russia under the trade name Movectro®. 
GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) confirmed that on behalf of the European Medicines Agency (EMA), the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) is to review the benefit/risk profile of Avandia (rosiglitazone). This follows the recent publication of an observational study and a meta-analysis regarding Avandia since the CHMP last reviewed the product in early 2010. All data generated by the Company has previously been submitted to the EMA. 
The Boehringer Ingelheim FENS Award 2010 was granted during the Forum of the Federation of European Neuroscience (FENS). Fekrije Selimi, researcher in the laboratory 'Neurobiologie des Processus Adaptatifs' at the University Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris, France, is the fifth scientist receiving the international FENS Award. The biennial Boehringer Ingelheim FENS Research Award is endowed with 25 000 Euro in recognition of outstanding research of young scientists in the field of neuroscience. 
Nycomed announced that the European Commission has granted marketing authorisation for Daxas® (roflumilast) in the European Union. Daxas® is a proprietary selective phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4) enzyme inhibitor that has been developed by Nycomed for the treatment of COPD, a progressive, life-threatening lung disease. Daxas® is indicated for maintenance treatment of severe COPD (FEV1 post-bronchodilator less than 50% predicted) associated with chronic bronchitis in adult patients with a history of frequent exacerbations as an add-on to bronchodilator treatment. 
AstraZeneca and MRC Technology, the commercialisation company for the UK's Medical Research Council, announced a new strategic collaboration to share access to their collections of compounds to aid the search for potential new treatments for serious diseases.