The Novartis 2010 Immunology Prizes were presented at the 16th International Congress of Immunology in Kobe, Japan. Since 1992, the Novartis Prizes for Immunology have been awarded every third year for outstanding contributions to basic and clinical immunology.

Merck announced the Merck Company Foundation and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation are committing an additional $60 million to support Botswana's African Comprehensive HIV/AIDS Partnerships (ACHAP). Merck is known as MSD outside the US and Canada.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has granted prequalification to Prevenar 13 (Pneumococcal polysaccharide conjugate vaccine [13-valent, adsorbed])for active immunization of infants and children from 6 weeks through five years of age against invasive disease, pneumonia and otitis media caused by the 13 pneumococcal serotypes (1, 3, 4, 5, 6A, 6B, 7F, 9V, 14, 18C, 19A, 19F and 23F) contained in the vaccine.

GlaxoSmithKline confirmed that the company has commenced the Phase III clinical trials programme of its candidate herpes zoster vaccine currently being developed for the prevention of shingles. The phase III clinical trials will study more than 30,000 patients globally and will evaluate the efficacy, safety and immunogenicity of the candidate vaccine.

Roche (SIX: RO, ROG; OTCQX: RHHBY) announced today that it has signed an agreement under which Ventana Medical Systems Inc., a member of the Roche Group, will acquire 100 percent of BioImagene, Inc., a privately held company based in Sunnyvale, California.

GlaxoSmithKline PLC (GSK) and Human Genome Sciences, Inc. today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted a priority review designation to Benlysta® (belimumab) as a potential treatment for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (NYSE: BMY) has announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted, for filing and review, the Biologics License Application (BLA) for ipilimumab for the treatment of adult patients with advanced melanoma who have been previously treated.