Business & Industry News Channel
Sanofi-aventis (Paris Bourse: EURONEXT: SAN; and New York: NYSE: SNY) announced that the ATHENA trial was published in the New England Journal of Medicine. The trial showed that Multaq® (dronedarone), in addition to standard therapy, significantly reduced the risk of first cardiovascular hospitalization or death by 24 percent (31.9% vs. 39.4%, p 
Despite a rapidly deteriorating economic situation, total revenues of the Merck Group rose 7.1% to a record € 7,558 million in 2008 due to increased sales of Pharmaceuticals and a 26% increase in royalty income to € 356 million. On a currency-adjusted basis, annual revenues rose 11%. For the fourth quarter, Group revenues were up 5.4% to € 1,904 million. Merck made no major acquisitions or divestments during 2008.
New data presented today showed that, for the first time, doctors can predict which hepatitis B patients treated with Pegasys (peginterferon alfa-2a) have the highest chance to achieve a positive treatment outcome-and even a clinical cure(1,2). The study results represent an important step forward, as some patients will now be able to feel confident during their Pegasys treatment about the likelihood of beating the disease. 
Novartis has gained the exclusive worldwide rights to elinogrel, a promising anti-clotting agent in Phase II clinical trials that has shown potential to offer clinical improvements over current anti-clotting medications in helping patients avoid heart attacks and strokes.
Bayer Schering Pharma AG, the pharmaceutical division of Bayer HealthCare (BHC), announced today that it will be
strengthening its global Research and Development (R&D) capabilities through the foundation of a global R&D center in Beijing, China. The company will invest some 100 million Euro over the next five years to establish the center. 
Genzyme Corp. (NASDAQ: GENZ) has announced solid fourth-quarter revenue and earnings growth and provided guidance for 2009 that underscored its positive outlook for the year. GAAP net income rose to $86.7 million, or $0.31 per diluted share, compared with $78.9 million, or $0.29 per diluted share, in the prior fourth quarter. Non-GAAP net income increased 16 percent to $288.5 million compared with $249.2 million in the fourth quarter of 2007. Based on the positive findings from the clinical development phase II trial, Bayer Schering Pharma has begun a phase III program with its oral agent riociguat. Two phase III trials will investigate the application in patients with both chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) and pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Riociguat is the first member of a new class of therapeutics stimulating the enzyme soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC).