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New scholarships worth EUR 417,000 awarded by Bayer Foundation to promote international talents

With approximately EUR 417,000, the Bayer Science & Education Foundation is providing a record amount for 65 talented young people who wish to realize international study and vocational training projects. The new scholarship recipients are students of the natural sciences, agriculture and medicine, as well those training to become science teachers or young people from skilled non-academic professions.

Novartis drug Rydapt® (midostaurin) receives EU approval for newly diagnosed FLT3-mutated acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and three types of advanced systemic mastocytosis (SM)

Novartis today announced that the European Commission (EC) approved Rydapt® (midostaurin) for two indications in rare, hard-to-treat cancers. Rydapt is approved for use in combination with standard daunorubicin and cytarabine induction and high-dose cytarabine consolidation chemotherapy, and for patients in complete response followed by Rydapt single agent maintenance therapy, for adults with newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia (AML) who are FLT3 mutation-positive.

More people treated with once-weekly semaglutide achieved reductions in both glucose and weight vs. comparator treatments

A post-hoc analysis of the SUSTAIN 1-5 trials demonstrated that a greater proportion of adults with type 2 diabetes achieved a clinically meaningful reduction in both HbA1c and body weight with once-weekly semaglutide vs. comparator treatments. Comparators included placebo, sitagliptin, insulin glargine U100 or exenatide extended release (ER).

Tezepelumab significantly reduced asthma exacerbations for a broad population of patients with severe uncontrolled asthma

AstraZeneca and Amgen Inc. (Amgen) announce results from the PATHWAY Phase IIb trial of tezepelumab that showed a significant reduction in the annual asthma exacerbation rate compared with placebo in patients with severe, uncontrolled asthma. Tezepelumab is a first-in-class anti-TSLP monoclonal antibody being developed by MedImmune, AstraZeneca’s global biologics research and development arm, in collaboration with Amgen.

Extended treatment with Brilinta reduces risk of cardiovascular death by 29% in patients with history of heart attack

AstraZeneca has announced results from a new sub-analysis of data from the Phase III PEGASUS-TIMI 54 trial demonstrating a 29% risk reduction in CV death (p=0.0041) from treatment with Brilinta (ticagrelor) 60mg twice daily, versus placebo, in patients taking low-dose aspirin but still at high risk of an atherothrombotic event, a major cause of acute coronary syndrome and CV death.

Novartis appoints Bertrand Bodson as Chief Digital Officer

Novartis announced that Bertrand Bodson, Chief Digital and Marketing Officer for Sainsbury's Argos, has been appointed to the new role of Chief Digital Officer, reporting to Joseph Jimenez, CEO of Novartis. He will join Novartis on January 1, 2018, and will be responsible for creating and executing a company-wide digital strategy in close collaboration with the Executive Committee of Novartis,

Roche gains positive CHMP opinion for Actemra / RoActemra in giant cell arteritis

Roche (SIX: RO, ROG; OTCQX: RHHBY) announced that the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) has adopted a positive opinion recommending approval of Actemra®/RoActemra® (tocilizumab) for the treatment of giant cell arteritis (GCA), a chronic and potentially life-threatening autoimmune condition.

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