• Bristol-Myers Squibb Co., of New York, said research published in the New England Journal of Medicine showed that combining targeted radiation therapy with immunotherapy drug Yervoy (ipilimumab) fostered a strong immune response and a favorable clinical outcome in a patient with melanoma. Both the size of the tumor treated with radiation and the size of distant tumors were reduced.

• Novartis AG, of Basel, Switzerland, said a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that Signifor (SOM230, pasireotide) normalized cortisol levels and showed clinical benefits in patients with Cushing's disease. For the group that received 900 mcg subcutaneous doses twice daily, the study met the primary endpoint of normalizing urinary-free cortisol (UFC) levels. UFC levels were normalized in 26.3 percent and 14.6 percent of patients who received the 900-mcg and 600-mcg doses, respectively, at six months of treatment.