Ark Therapeutics Group plc has reported a loss after tax of £9.17 million or four pence per share for the six months ended 30 June 2008.

The UK's biggest care services firm for adults with severe learning disabilities has been bought by Anglo-American buyout firm GI Partners for an undisclosed fee.

The number of bidders for Elan Drug Technologies has fallen after Cinven, the private equity house, pulled out of the auction.

AstraZeneca plc has won the right to seek compensation from Impax Laboratories and Apotex for some of the sales it lost to their generic versions of its ulcer drug Prilosec.

Scientists from Durham University and the North East England Stem Cell Institute have developed a new way of spotting bowel cancer, research published today, August 20, has revealed.

Oxford BioMedica said today, August 15, that it has rejected a takeover approach by GeneThera, the agricultural diagnostics specialist, saying the suitor was not a “credible bidder”.

Cytos Biotechnology AG said Friday, August 15, it has teamed up with Pfizer Inc to develop vaccines designed to stave off diseases in humans.

Nobel Biocare Holding AG announced today, August 14, that it has agreed to buy Belgium's Medicim to gain medical imaging technology.

Troubled care home group Southern Cross yesterday August 12, reported an 18 percent rise in revenue after raising the weekly fees it charges to its elderly patients.

Irish healthcare services company United Drug plc said on Tuesday, August 12, that it expects to deliver profit growth in 2008.

Nobel Biocare Holding AG has said second quarter profit dropped 42 percent because of a weak US dollar and lower demand in Europe and the US.

Smith & Nephew plc rose the most in eight months in London trading after the knee implant maker limited the financial effect of unacceptable sales practices at its orthopedics unit.

UK vaccine maker Acambis plc said on Thursday, August 7, that its first-half pretax loss narrowed, helped by a surge in revenue and lower costs.

Roche Holding AG may become the world's largest pharmaceutical company by 2014 overtaking Pfizer Inc, according to forecasting company EvaluatePharma.

A new partnership between SignHealth, the healthcare charity for deaf people, and EMIS, the UK’s leading provider of GP systems, will enable Deaf patients to enjoy better access to GP services.

AstraZeneca plc has reported that second quarter profit came in ahead of forecasts, causing shares to soar.

Sanofi-Aventis SA agreed on Friday, July 25 to acquire Acambis plc for £276 million in cash.

Synergy Healthcare plc said the current year has started well and the business is performing in line with its expectations.

GlaxoSmithKline plc posted a three percent drop in second quarter profit yesterday, July 23, and unveiled plans to shake up its strategy.

Merck KGaA has reported weaker net profit due to the negative currency impact.

The French drugmaker has agreed to buy Primary Health Care Ltd’s Symbion Consumer division for A$560 million.

Leading biopharmaceutical company Shire said it has significant tax savings by moving its headquarters away from the UK.

Advent International is expected to close the deal for Craegmoor today, July 18, four months after the care home operator was put on the market.

The Swiss drugmaker Novartis AG said net profit rose 17 percent to US$2.27 billion, beating forecasts and boosting its shares.

United Drug plc said on July 15 that it had bought US packaging maker Sharp Corporation for £49 million (US$99 million) in cash.

Actelion has sold GlaxoSmithKline Plc worldwide development and marketing rights to an experimental sleep disorder pill for CHF150 million.

Novartis AG will buy Swiss biotechnology group Speedel for more than CHF900 million (£444 million).

Shares in Concateno plc soared 20 percent on July 8 after news that the company had received several possible bid approaches.

The nursing and care home operator will acquire the 50 percent interest in Partnership Health Group from Life Healthcare Group for £14.1million.

GlaxoSmithKline Plc plans to double its research and development staff to 350 in the next few years.

The serial healthcare entrepreneur Chai Patel has set up an acquisition vehicle named Court Cavendish.

Shire Ltd has bought Jerini AG for €328million, widening its footprint in human genetic therapies.

SkyePharma plc shares up 6% in London trading after experimental asthma inhaler Flutiform meets goals of phase III study.

Shares of AstraZeneca plc, the UK's second largest drugmaker, rose the most in five years this morning, July 2, after a US court upheld a patent on its Seroquel antipsychotic, the company's second bestselling product.

GlaxoSmithKline plc said on Monday, June 30, that it does not expect to win US approval for the company's experimental cervical cancer vaccine Cervarix until late 2009.

Southern Cross Healthcare Group Plc, the UK's largest care-home operator, said on Monday, June 30, Finance Director Jason Lock was leaving with immediate effect and would be replaced by Richard Midmer.

Astra Zeneca plc said Thursday, June 26, that David Mott, President and CEO of MedImmune, its biologics business unit, will leave the company at the end of July.

Reports suggest that Roche AG’s cancer drug Avastin will not be made available for use on the NHS after the Swiss drugmaker declined requests to provide the agency with more data.

French drugmaker Sanofi-Aventis said on Wednesday, June 25, that it has won final backing for its obesity drug Acomplia from UK advisory panel NICE, clearing the way for doctors to prescribe it on the state health service.

Germany’s largest drugmaker Bayer AG will supply generic copies of its best-selling Yasmin and YAZ contraceptives to US rival Barr Pharmaceuticals Inc.

Advent International Corp., a Boston-based private equity firm, is on the verge of entering exclusive discussions to buy Craegmoor Healthcare for around £300million.

The Czech drugmaker has rejected a CZK36.2billion (£1.2billion) takeover bid by Anthiarose, a minority investor controlled by Czech financial group PPF Group NV and Generali, the Italian insurer.

The British drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has beaten its rival Sanofi-Pasteur MSD to supply its cervical cancer vaccine for The Department of Health’s immunisation programme for schoolgirls.

Sanofi-Aventis said on Wednesday, June 18, that it has acquired about 25 percent stake in Czech drugmaker Zentiva for €430 million to become the Prague-based company’s largest shareholder.

Irish drugmaker Elan Corp. plc and US partner Wyeth said today, June 17, its experimental Alzheimer's drug bapineuzumab has failed to meet the targets set in clinical tests.

Ernesto Bertarelli, the Swiss-Italian biotech billionaire, and Merrill Lynch Global Private Equity have bought the Hungary-based medical diagnostics and dialysis group for €800 million.

AmVac, the Swiss biopharmaceutical company said Thursday June 12 that it has started its first research co-operation program with Bayer Innovation subsidiary Icon Genetics.

The Japanese pharmaceutical company said Wednesday June 11 that it is to take control a controlling stake of Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd, India’s biggest generic drugs maker, in a tender offer worth up to US$4.6 billion (£2.3 billion).

Novartis AG said on Tuesday June 10, 2008 that it had successfully issued two Swiss franc benchmark bonds totaling CHF 1.5 billion in the Swiss capital market.

Europe’s biggest drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline has completed its acquisition of Sirtris Pharmaceuticals, Inc. for US$720 million (£362 million).

Alliance Boots, parent company of the Boots chain, is expected to post a 20% increase in trading profits during its first year as a private company.

British pharmaceuticals group Vernalis plc said Thursday it had agreed to sell Apokyn and its US commercial operations to Ipsen SA, the French pharmaceuticals group, for up to US$17.5 million (£9 million).

AstraZeneca announced today that it submitted a New Drug Application for approval of SYMBICORT for the treatment of asthma in children

The Japanese services company Fujitsu has been axed from its £896 million contract with the NHS over contractual disputes.

Jean-Pierre Garnier is retiring from GlaxoSmithKline after eight years at the company amid criticism from the company’s shareholders as the share price drops.

SSL International Plc, the maker of Durex condoms and Scholl sandals, has reported profit growth of 22 percent, beating full year earnings forecasts.

GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) announced today that the European Commission has granted authorisation for a pre-pandemic H5N1 vaccine, Prepandrix, in all EU member states.

AstraZeneca, the Anglo-Swedish pharmaceuticals giant, today announced that the US Food and Drug Administration approved Seroquel for the treatment of bipolar I disorder.

Southern Cross Healthcare Group, the leading provider of care homes in the UK, has reported that sales are up after an increase in fees-per-bed drove revenues up 28 percent.

ProStrakan Group Plc, the international pharmaceutical company, announced positive results from the pivotal US clinical program on Fortigel, its testosterone replacement treatment.