Bayer HealthCare AG, Germany, and Tsinghua University in Beijing, China have signed a comprehensive collaboration agreement to enter into a strategic partnership. The two partners will establish a joint research center at Tsinghua University, the Bayer-Tsinghua (Institute of Biomedicine) Research Center of Innovative Drug Discovery.

Avanir Pharmaceuticals has completed targeted enrolment of patients into the STAR trial, a confirmatory phase-III trial of Zenvia (dextromethorphan/quinidine [DM/Q]) in patients exhibiting signs and symptoms of pseudobulbar affect (PBA). The randomized, multi-centre, international STAR trial is designed to compare the effects of Zenvia 30/10 mg, Zenvia 20/10 mg and placebo on involuntary crying/laughing episodes rates.

 Vision and Boldness Are Needed to Execute a Winning Strategy in the Near Future -

The U.S.-based pharmaceutical industry received a sliver of good news last year when first-of-a-kind drug approvals in the U.S. reached a three-year high. Twenty-four drugs were approved during 2008, compared to only 18 in 2007.

Cyclogenix Ltd announced that it has entered into license and research agreements with Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, a division of Wyeth and IMBcom, The University of Queensland's (UQ) company for commercializing technology from the Institute for Molecular Bioscience (IMB).