J&J, Merck, Pfizer, Amgen, AstraZeneca and GSK

– Recent figures cited by Forbes has Johnson &Johnson beating the field of global pharma companies in a ranking based on FDA approvals of new drugs over the past 10 years. FierceBiotech’s Johnson & Johnson Tops Pharma Rivals in 10-year Test of R&D Productivity shares some of the findings, although it’s unclear from the data presented how much of the success J&J and others had at the FDA can be attributed to savvy licensing deals and acquisitions

– According to Merck the “basis for [its] entrepreneurial success is the six Merck Values communicated in 2007: courage; achievement; responsibility; respect; integrity and transparency.” Pharmaphorum offers A history of… Merck KGaA, the oldest pharmaceutical company in the world

– A growing number of top drug companies seem to think nanomedicine will be the next big thing, including Pfizer, Amgen, and AstraZeneca. Big Drugmakers Think Small with Nanomedicine Deals from Reuters reports some of the latest happenings in the growing world of nanomedicine

– With differing strategies and cultures that characterized each drugmaker, Merck and Pfizer have been long term rivals. What Rivalry? Merck And Pfizer To Collaborate On A Diabetes Drug from Pharmalot covers the recent announcement of the collaboration between the two which will combine a Type 2 diabetes drug that Pfizer has readied for Phase III development with Merck’s Januvia, a so-called DPP-4 inhibitor that is a widely used diabetes treatment and generated about $4 billion in sales last year

– Funding Boost for GSK’s Open Innovation Research into Diseases Affecting the Developing World  from World Pharma News outlines the announcement from GSK on their funding injection from the Wellcome Trust to support its open approach to discovering and developing urgently needed new treatments for diseases of the developing world, moving early-stage research to the next level in finding new medicines for diseases such as TB, malaria, Leishmaniasis and sleeping sickness