Business & Industry News Channel
The European Medicines Agency's Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) adopted a positive opinion for Rasilamlo(TM) (aliskiren and amlodipine) to treat high blood pressure patients not adequately controlled by either aliskiren or amlodipine alone. Rasilamlo combines in a single pill the only approved direct renin inhibitor worldwide, Rasilez®, with the widely used calcium channel blocker amlodipine. 
Sanofi-aventis (EURONEXT: SAN and NYSE: SNY) and Genzyme Corporation (NASDAQ: GENZ) have entered into a definitive agreement under which sanofi-aventis is to acquire Genzyme for $74.00 per share in cash, or approximately $20.1 billion. In addition to the cash payment, each Genzyme shareholder will receive one Contingent Value Right (CVR) for each share they own, entitling the holder to receive additional cash payments if specified milestones related to Lemtrada™ (alemtuzumab MS) are achieved over time or a milestone related to production volumes in 2011 for Cerezyme® and Fabrazyme® is achieved. 
Pfēnex Inc., an industry leader in protein expression through the Pfēnex Expression Technology™ platform and Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH, a leading pharmaceutical company and global leader in biopharmaceutical contract development and manufacture, have entered into a strategic agreement. It provides Boehringer Ingelheim with non-exclusive access to the Pfēnex Expression Technology. 
Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (NYSE:BMY) and Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE) announced the publication of the full results of the AVERROES study of apixaban in The New England Journal of Medicine. Conducted in 36 countries, the study was coordinated by the Population Health Research Institute (PHRI) at McMaster University and at Hamilton Health Sciences in Canada. The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) published a study that shows Afinitor® (everolimus) tablets plus best supportive care (BSC) more than doubled progression-free survival (PFS), or time without tumor growth, versus placebo plus BSC in patients with advanced pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (NET)[1]. Data from the study, RADIANT-3 (RAD001 In Advanced Neuroendocrine Tumors), were first presented last year at the 12th World Congress on Gastrointestinal Cancer in Barcelona[2]. 
Roche (SIX: RO, ROG; OTCQX: RHHBY) announced that OCEANS, a phase III study evaluating Avastin (bevacizumab) in combination with chemotherapy (carboplatin and gemcitabine) followed by continued use of Avastin alone until disease progression in women with previously treated (recurrent), platinum-sensitive ovarian cancer, met its primary endpoint. 
Sales increased by 19% in Danish kroner and by 13% measured in local currencies, which is slightly higher than the latest guidance of '11-12% growth in local currencies'. All regions contributed to growth measured in local currencies; North America was the main contributor with 62% share of growth measured in local currencies, followed by International Operations and Europe, contributing 24% and 12%, respectively. Sales growth was realised within both diabetes care and biopharmaceuticals, with the majority of growth originating from the modern insulins and Victoza®.