> MedImmune today announced the appointment of Tony Zook as its president. Previously, he had been heading the company on an interim basis. Release
> GlaxoSmithKline said Wednesday it is moving ahead with its plan to purchase all shares of drug developer Genelabs Technologies for $57 million. Report
> China recalled a hemorrhoid medicine made by Vital Pharmaceutical Holdings after it was linked to liver problems, state media said, in the latest safety incident to tarnish the country's food and drug sector. Report
> Germany's Stada reported a 13 percent increase in sales during the first nine months of the year, to 1.2 billion euro, and an 18 percent hike in net income. Report
> Perrigo has acquired Lake Worth, Fla.-based Unico Holdings for approximately $49 million in cash. Release
> Basilea Pharmaceutica's MRSA drug ceftobiprole got Switzerland's nod for treatment of complicated skin and soft tissue infections, including diabetic foot infections. Release
> GlaxoSmithKline announced that it has started a worldwide clinical efficacy trial to evaluate a new seasonal flu vaccine. With over 43,000 volunteers, this Phase III clinical trial is one of the largest influenza efficacy trials ever undertaken for seasonal flu. Report
> Bayer Schering Pharmaceuticals announced today that it has pledged 1.5 million euros to develop hemophilia treatment centers throughout China. Release
> Orion sued Sun Pharma over Sun's attempts to market a generic version of the Parkinson's disease treatment Comtan, marketed in the U.S. by Novartis under a license agreement. Release
> Pipex Pharmaceuticals, a specialty pharmaceutical company developing innovative late-stage oral drug candidates for the treatment of autoimmune and central nervous system diseases, announced that it has completed a name change to Adeona Pharmaceuticals. Release
> Colorado-based Accera has closed a Series C financing round of $35 million. The company will use the funds to begin sales and marketing of the company's lead product, Axona, which is scheduled to launch in the United States in the first quarter of 2009. Report
> Optimer Pharmaceuticals' stock surged on news that the company's anti-infective drug OPT-80 outperformed ViroPharma's Vancocin in a late-stage trial. Report
> Affymetrix, a genetic data analysis equipment maker, announced today that it will purchase Fremont, CA-based Panomics for $73 million. Report
> AEterna Zentaris has sold the royalties on future sales of Cetrotide--a drug in Phase III trials for benign prostatic hyperplasia--to Cowen Healthcare Royalty Partners (CHRP). Report
> The disastrous results of Merck's HIV vaccine trial--known as V520-- have called into question whether T-cell-based HIV-1 vaccines are a viable option for preventing the disease. But a study led by Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center researchers finds that a T-cell-based vaccine should still be pursued by researchers. Report
And Finally... On Wednesday, the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative officially opened operations in an abandon World War I military supply warehouse. The Brooklyn Army Terminal, as it's known, will be home to a number of bioscience companies and organizations. New York City has invested $35 million in revamping the space, which it hopes will attract high-value R&D jobs to the area. "This is a down payment on an industry that we think is going to be a major tax generator for both the city and the state for many years," said Seth W. Pinsky, president of the city's Economic Development Corporation.