Merck has reported a strong net income for the third quarter of 2009, which ended Sept. 30.

October is Sudden Cardiac Arrest Awareness Month, and the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Association (SCAA) has awarded its 2009 leadership awards, going to the New York City Fire Department and the governor of Illinois, among others.

October is sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) awareness month and the Heart Rhythm Society has begun a campaign to educate the public about the difference between a heart attack and SCA and to educate physicians about better informing their patients of these differences.

Pfizer has reported a double-digit increase in net income for the 2009 third quarter, despite falling cardiovascular pharmaceutical sales.

While many studies continue to evaluate the current crop of statins and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, some researchers have their eyes on the next generation of combination therapies using these two classes of drugs.

Wellstat Therapeutics and Sanofi Aventis have signed a global licensing agreement to develop, manufacture and commercialize PN2034, an oral insulin sensitizer for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. PN2034 was discovered by Wellstat and is currently in Phase II clinical trials to reverse insulin resistance in the liver of diabetic patients.

Merck has begun disclosing payments to U.S. medical and scientific professionals who speak on behalf of the company or its products, detailing approximately $3.7 million in payments for the third quarter, as part of its voluntary commitment to increase transparency.

Implantation of the Melody transcatheter pulmonary valve (Medtronic, Minneapolis) for right ventricular outflow tract conduit dysfunction can be performed by experienced operators at multiple centers, appears safe, and has encouraging acute and short-term outcomes, according to a study in the Oct. 27 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.