Court won't toss ex-USC players claims against Hospira; Merck renews Russian manufacturing deal;

@FiercePharma: Popular this morning on our website: Eli Lilly's $15B battle for longer Alimta monopoly hits court today. Story | Follow @FiercePharma

@CarlyHFierce: The gang at FierceBiotech is looking for 2013's fiercest women in biotech. Submit nominations here. | Follow @CarlyHFierce

 > Hospira ($HSP) failed to convince a California judge to throw out claims by an ex-University of Southern California football player who suffered a heart attack after taking the company's painkiller Toradol. Report (sub. req.)

> Merck ($MRK) re-upped its contract manufacturing deal with Russian's Akrikhin to stay in line with the government's goals for domestic production of marketed drugs. Report

> Denmark's Lundbeck said that it had increased its share capital by 11,204 shares on warrants exercised by employees. Report

> Boehringer Ingelheim tapped the PR firm Pegasus to help promote its new irritable bowel treatment Buscopan in the U.K. Report

> Merck and the plaintiffs suing over jaw injuries allegedly caused by Fosamax are debating plans for the last phase of the multidistrict litigation. Report

> The multiple sclerosis market could hit $18.3 billion by 2018, Datamonitor analysts figure. Report

Medical Device News

@FierceMedDev: Covidien yanks syringes over sterility risk. Report | Follow @FierceMedDev

@DamianFierce: Introducing B-a-MedFounder, a new crowdfunding platform for medical devices. ICYM yesterday's popular story | Follow @DamianFierce

@MarkHFierce: Medtronic reported a double-digit increase in net earnings during Q1. Release | Follow @MarkHFierce

@MichaelGFierce: ICYMI: Platinum-based radiotherapy method zaps cancer with nanomeds. More from FierceDrugDelivery | Follow @MichaelGFierce

> Applied Proteomics lands $28M for diagnostics. Story

> Quest to sell Thermo Fisher's peanut allergy diagnostic. Item

> Boston Scientific eyes FDA with PAD stent. Article

> Bard grabs Medafor for $200M, diving deep into the blood-clotting business. Report

Biotech News

@FierceBiotech: ICYMI from FierceBiotechIT: Pfizer taps online marketplace for outsourcing research. Story | Follow @FierceBiotech

@JohnCFierce: I wonder if this will reignite some old rumors of a Novartis buyout for MorphoSys. I suspect so. Article | Follow @JohnCFierce

@RyanMFierce: Pfizer's social head touted some of the internal and external feats of the pharma giant. More | Follow @RyanMFierce

> Adimab adds Celgene to high-profile clientele for antibody drug discovery. News

> Regado has to slash IPO price to complete $42M raise. Report

> Eisai suit prods DEA for slow-motion drug classification roadblock. More

> Analyst urges Merck to overhaul its weak $8B R&D operation. Story

Pharma Manufacturing News

@EricPFierce: WSJ: Eisai sues DEA to get it to move on epilepsy drug Fycompa which FDA approved in October. FiercePharma story | Follow @EricPFierce

> FDA program would allow inspectors to focus on trouble spots. More

> Ben Venue trimming manufacturing, jobs at troubled plant. Story

> Zydus Cadila injects $160M into injectables. Report

> Coup de grâce for Boehringer Ingelheim Virginia plant. More

> Ukraine sentences drug counterfeiter to 4 years. Item

Biotech Research News

@EmilyMFierce: The latest at FierceBiotechResearch.com: Nerve cell death reversed in Parkinson's cells. Article | Follow @EmilyMFierce

> Industry-academic partnerships could help propel metabolic disease research. Editor's corner

> Diabetes progression slowed in mice. Story

> Inovio vaccine kills malaria, boosts immune response in animals. More

> Pluristem's stem cell therapy improves tendon injuries in rats. Item

> Seattle BioMed wins $16M NIH grant for TB research. Article

And Finally... A generic tuberculosis drug, isoniazid, could prevent tuberculosis in at-risk HIV patients, a study found. Report