Swiss drugmaker Roche said it has entered a deal worth up to $1 billion with Alnylam Pharmaceuticals to gain access to the Cambridge, MA-based firms skills in RNA interference (RNAi) technology.

Merck’s experimental medication MK-0974 showed promising results in migraine patients who weren’t helped by standard treatments, according to the findings of a Merck–funded Phase II study.

The FDA said Monday that Sanofi-Aventis’ weight-loss drug Acomplia (rimonabant) may trigger suicidal behavior and other psychological side effects in some patients.

AstraZeneca CEO David Brennan says he will continue to seek new acquisitions to fill the drugmaker’s pipeline.

The FDA approved Torisel (temsirolimus) from Wyeth for treating a type of advanced kidney cancer, but analysts say its potential may be limited.

The FDA was petitioned to approve OTC switches for Allegra (fexofenadine), Allegra D 12-hour and 24-hour (fexofenadine with pseudophedrine), and Zyrtec (cetirizine) and Zyrtec D (cetirizine with pseudophedrine).

GlaxoSmithKline is stressing Avandia safety with doctors but has no plans for a DTC campaign to address concerns with the diabetes drug.

The halt of Pfizer's torcetrapib program has potentially far-reaching implications for the broader industry and raises questions about safety of other drugs in its class, analysts said.

While the focus of activity in pharmaceutical R&D has shifted from mass-market primary care drugs to specialty products, there are signs the long freeze on big new medications is thawing.