ZURICH, Dec 18 (Reuters) – Actelion, Europe’s
biggest biotech company, reported positive results from a
mid-stage clinical trial of a treatment for skin disease
psoriasis, adding to recent good news for its key
next-generation heart and lung drug.

The Swiss firm said on Tuesday its ponesimod drug achieved
its main goal in the trial, with 46 percent of patients
suffering from moderate to severe chronic plaque psoriasis
seeing a 75 percent improvement in an index for monitoring the
disease at 16 weeks when treated with a 20 milligramme dose.

ZURICH, Dec 14 (Reuters) – Swiss engineering group ABB
is dropping low-margin projects at its power systems
business in an attempt to make the division more profitable,
resulting in a fourth-quarter charge of $350 million.

Tough price competition in Asia and delays in connecting
offshore wind farms to power grids have hit margins at ABB and
German rival Siemens’ power businesses.

ZURICH, Dec 12 (Reuters) – Swiss chocolate maker Barry
Callebaut is buying the cocoa business of Singapore’s
Petra Foods to reduce its dependence on West African
raw materials as it expands in emerging markets.

Barry Callebaut was already the world’s biggest chocolate
maker, but the $950 million cash deal – its largest yet – will
make it the biggest processor of cocoa products, too.

ZURICH/LONDON (Reuters) – When Swiss biotech firm Auris Medical wanted to recruit patients to test its experimental hearing loss drug, it decided to enlist partygoers deafened by firecrackers on New Year’s Eve.

In the weeks leading up to December 31, 2005 it advertised in the subway and on radio stations in Munich and Berlin, urging victims of sudden firecracker-induced hearing loss to turn up at designated clinics for treatment on January 1.

ZURICH/LONDON (Reuters) – When Swiss biotech firm Auris Medical wanted to recruit patients to test its experimental hearing loss drug, it decided to enlist partygoers deafened by firecrackers on New Year’s Eve.

In the weeks leading up to December 31, 2005 it advertised in the subway and on radio stations in Munich and Berlin, urging victims of sudden firecracker-induced hearing loss to turn up at designated clinics for treatment on January 1.

ZURICH (Reuters) – UBS was fined 30 million pounds ($48 million) by Britain’s financial watchdog and put under extra scrutiny by its Swiss counterpart over failings that allowed a rogue trader to lose $2.3 billion.

Announcing the fine on Monday, Tracey McDermott, director of enforcement at Britain’s Financial Services Authority (FSA), said the Swiss bank’s risk control systems were “seriously defective.”

ZURICH (Reuters) – UBS was fined 30 million pounds by Britain’s financial watchdog and put under extra scrutiny by its Swiss counterpart over failings that allowed a rogue trader to lose $2.3 billion (1.4 billion pounds).

Announcing the fine on Monday, Tracey McDermott, director of enforcement at Britain’s Financial Services Authority (FSA), said the Swiss bank’s risk control systems were “seriously defective.”

ZURICH (Reuters) – The European Medicines Agency has thrown Novartis’ loss-making vaccines business a lifeline by recommending its meningitis B shot for approval, which means the pressure is on to make the product a commercial success.

Novartis paid $5.1 billion to gain full control of U.S. vaccine maker Chiron Corp in 2006 in a major bet on vaccines designed to reduce its dependence on prescription drugs ahead of a wave of patent expiries.

ZURICH, Nov 13 (Reuters) – Swiss hearing aid maker Sonova’s
focus on new products helped counter margin pressures
in its industry as the group reported stronger first-half
profits on Tuesday, sending its shares to a seven-month high.

Demand from the growing ranks of the elderly has helped
expand the market for hearing aids, but some of Sonova’s
competitors have warned of margin and pricing pressures partly
from cutbacks in government healthcare budgets.

ZURICH, Nov 8 (Reuters) – Novartis could produce
14 or more new big-selling ‘blockbuster’ drugs within five
years as it bets on cancer, heart and respiratory treatments to
fill the gaps left by expiries on current patents, the Swiss
firm said on Thursday.

Like many of its rivals, Novartis is facing headwinds as
some of its top earners lose patent protection, particularly
blood pressure drug Diovan. It is counting on its newest
products, such as breast cancer drug Afinitor, to pump up sales.