Abbott to Acquire Solvay Pharmaceuticals Business
Abbott today announced a definitive agreement with the Solvay Group for Abbott to acquire Solvay's pharmaceuticals business for EUR 4.5 billion ($6.6 billion) in cash, providing Abbott with a large and complementary portfolio of pharmaceutical products and a significant presence in key global emerging markets. The acquisition also includes full global rights to the fenofibrate franchise. Currently Abbott has U.S. rights to fenofibrate and pays royalties to Solvay.
Sanofi-aventis (EURONEXT: SAN and NYSE: SNY) announced that the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) has adopted a positive opinion recommending to grant a marketing authorization in the European Union for Multaq® (dronedarone - 400mg Tablets).
Bayer HealthCare AG and Onyx Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced the full results from their first collaborative group-sponsored randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled Phase II trial showing that Nexavar® (sorafenib tablets) in combination with the oral chemotherapeutic agent, capecitabine, significantly extended progression-free survival in patients with advanced breast cancer by 74 percent. 
Boehringer Ingelheim, a global pharmaceutical group of companies, together with its U.S. animal health business Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc., has entered into an agreement with Pfizer to acquire certain assets of Wyeth Pharmaceutical's Fort Dodge Animal Health business upon the closing of the global Pfizer-Wyeth merger, which is expected to occur early in the fourth quarter. 
Nycomed today announced its decision to invest in a state-of-the-art pharmaceutical production plant near the city of Yaroslavl in Russia. The company plans to invest between €65 million to €75 million. The new facility will produce medicines for the local Russia-CIS market, which contributes 10% to Nycomed's turnover and plays an important role in the company's growth strategy. 
Pfizer Inc (NYSE: PFE) and Wyeth (NYSE: WYE) announced that they have entered into an agreement with Boehringer Ingelheim to divest certain animal health assets in connection with the regulatory approval process associated with Pfizer's pending acquisition of Wyeth. Under the terms of the agreement, Boehringer Ingelheim will acquire products, research and manufacturing facilities, located in Fort Dodge, Iowa, as well as related assets and intellectual property, primarily from Wyeth's Fort Dodge Animal Health portfolio in the U.S. and Canada.