The French pharmaceutical company Sanofi-Aventis has agreed to acquire Tennessee, US-based Chattem Inc. for $1.9 billion (Ôé¼1.3 billion).

The Dutch sportscar maker Spyker has extended its bid deadline for Saab indefinitely, in order to give parent company General Motors (GM) more time to respond.

Terex Corp., the world's number three maker of heavy earth-moving equipment, is to sell its mining business to mining equipment maker Bucyrus International Inc. for $1.3 billion.  The Terex unit being sold includes hydraulic mining excavators and electric drive mining trucks.

Royal Dutch Shell is reportedly seeking buyers for 10 of its Nigerian onshore oil production assets following years of militant attacks on its facilities that have significantly affected profits.

The Canadian government is seeking private investment in the nuclear power reactor unit of Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd (AECL).  Finding private investors willing to take a stake in the Candu Reactor Division is part of the GovernmentÔÇÖs plan to spin off the division into a separate corporation.  The companyÔÇÖs reactors are based on a design that uses costly heavy water, rather than regular water, to moderate their operation.

French automaker Renault has announced it is in talks with GermanyÔÇÖs Daimler about a possible partnership on small and compact vehicles.

Johnson & Johnson (J&J), the worldÔÇÖs largest health products company, has announced it will acquire medical technology company Acclarent Inc. for $785 million.  The deal is expected to significantly boost J&JÔÇÖs presence in the ear, nose and throat treatment business. The venture capital arm of New Brunswick, New Jersey-based J&J began investing in Acclarent a year ago.

Oil services company Petrofac has raised its full-year profits guidance thanks to higher oil prices and a strong order book.

BoeingÔÇÖs long-awaited 787 Dreamliner took to the skies yesterday on its maiden flight.  The aircraft took off from Paine Field in Everett, Washington, just before 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday morning and flew for approximately three hours before landing at SeattleÔÇÖs Boeing airfield.  The 250-seat Dreamliner is the first commercial aircraft to be made predominantly from compositesÔÇönamely, carbon fiber-reinforced plasticÔÇörather than the conventional mix of aluminum and steel.

Abu Dhabi has thrown a $10 billion lifeline to its neighbour Dubai to pay debts owed by Dubai World.