ROCHE STEALS MARCH WITH BIOTECH ACQUISITION WHILE FRANCE'S SANOFI FACES GENERIC THREAT

French drugs group Sanofi-Aventis reported a 6.5% increase in second quarter sales yesterday, slightly less than investors had hoped. It also failed to provide any meaningful update on crucial patent disputes or the progress of Acomplia, its slimming and anti-smoking drug. The news came as Swiss rival Roche spent £104m buying privately-owned company GlycArt Biotechnology, which has three potential cancer treatments in pre-clinical trials.

The Guardian (http://education.guardian.co.uk/businessofresearch/story/0,9860,1532032,00.html)