Goldman struggles with Concordia debt; Former Merck analyst gets 3 years in prison for insider trading;

@FiercePharma: Vaccine-derived polio case raises ugly head in Laos. FiercePharmaAsia article | Follow @FiercePharma

@EricPFierce: Have to wonder if FDA issues with PharMEDium played into investment firm's decision to sell. FiercePharmaManufacturing story | Follow @EricPFierce

@CarlyHFierce: $MYL CFO on lack of other bidders for $PRGO: "The silence is deafening." | Follow @CarlyHFierce

> Goldman Sachs is reportedly struggling to sell nearly $2.8 billion of debt for Concordia Healthcare Corp. amid the pharma industry's drug-pricing controversy. Report

> Former Merck ($MRK) employee Zachary Zwerko has been sentenced to more than three years in prison for insider trading. Report

> Ironwood Pharmaceuticals ($IRWD) said a smaller dose of the constipation drug Linzess was effective in a late-stage study; the company and partner Allergan ($AGN) plan to ask the FDA to approve the 72-mcg dose early next year. Report

> GlaxoSmithKline ($GSK) is socking £1.3 million into a marketing push for a new toothpaste product, Sensodyne True White; the move follows an overall simplification of the Sensodyne product line. Report

> Pfizer ($PFE) snapped up full rights to the Gaucher's disease drug Elelyso from partner Protalix for $36 million cash, in a deal that also includes a $10 million investment in the smaller company. Report

Medical Device News

@FierceMedDev: Abbott's bioresorbable stent meets primary endpoint, but NEJM editorial raises questions. Story | Follow @FierceMedDev

@VarunSaxena2: ICYMI: Clinicians criticize Baxter for suspending comparative drug/device heart failure trial. Article | Follow @VarunSaxena2

@EmilyWFierce: Pigeons, other birds, lizards...there's a full menagerie at an Indian API maker's facilities. FiercePharmaManufacturing report | Follow @EmilyWFierce

> BMJ: Bayer's Essure calls for more follow-up surgeries than traditional sterilization. More

> Intelesens gets FDA approval for its Zensor wearable vital signs device. Report

Biotech News

@FierceBiotech: 5 experts, 1 voice: Biotech bubble? It's different this time. Editor's corner | Follow @FierceBiotech

@JohnCFierce: put out a "no comment" after its stock had dropped >50% in 2 days. That kind of zombie strategy is a disaster. | Follow @JohnCFierce

> Lilly and Incyte's oral arthritis drug tops Humira in a big Phase III trial. Article

> Roche backs €19M round to move Minoryx's CNS drug into the clinic. Story

> Moderna's top scientist steps down amid a billion-dollar R&D push. Article

Biotech Research News

> Gene therapy protects neurons in Parkinson's disease mouse study. More

> A promising MEK inhibitor in mice loses some luster in human trials. Report

> Gene therapy study in dogs demonstrates success in preserving vision. Story

> Preclinical research often hypes cancer drugs. Item

> Penn investigators finger a 'turncoat' molecule's key role in Tykerb resistance. Article

Pharma Marketing News

> Merck KGaA hopes to spiff up its image with new logo, fewer names. Story

> GSK scores a Part D exclusive for slow-starting lung meds Incruse, Anoro. Report

> With latest hires, Klick sees sign of more creative times in pharma marketing. More

> Influential cancer group to add drug-cost data to its treatment advice. Story

> AbbVie's Humira, J&J's Invokana lead September's $231M in pharma TV ad spending. Article

Vaccines News

> MedImmune joins GSK, Vanderbilt U in Human Vaccines Project. Story

> Reports: Chinese firm to spend $315M on Ebola vaccine manufacturing plant. More

> University of Maryland HIV vaccine candidate enters human trials. News

> Immunomic licenses allergy vaccine tech to Astellas for $300M. Report

> Pfizer touts Trumenba immunogenicity when administered with Menactra, Adacel. Story

And Finally... Women who sought permanent sterilization through Bayer's contraceptive implant Essure were 10 times as likely to be back for surgery within a year than women who had their tubes tied, a new study says. More (sub. req.)