Dendreon sells off Victrelis royalty rights; KV Pharma to pay $17M in whistleblower case;

 FiercePharma: Chinese gov't OKs plan for 'sharply' improving drug safety. Higher standards, stepped-up monitoring included. News | Follow @FiercePharma

> Dendreon ($DNDN) has sold its royalty rights to Merck's hepatitis C drug Victrelis for $125 million to strengthen its cash position. News

> KV Pharmaceutical ($KV-A) agreed to pay $17 million to resolve a False Claims Act lawsuit alleging it sought government reimbursement for unapproved drugs. Story

> Novartis ($NVS) won European approval for its diabetes treatment Galvus. More

> Pfizer ($PFE) may have to spend up to $205 million to clean up a Superfund site in Bridgewater, NJ. Story

> The FDA removed Public Citizen's Sid Wolfe from an advisory panel considering the safety of newer birth control pills, saying the advocacy group's WorstPills website advises against using the Bayer drugs under review, Yaz and Yasmin. Report

> German distributor Phoenix won an injunction compelling Switzerland's Novartis ($NVS) to resume delivering drugs amid an ongoing pricing dispute. More

> Big employers opposed to the merger of Medco Health Solutions ($MHS) and Express Scripts ($ESRX) won't testify at Senate hearings for fear of retaliation, Sen. Herb Kohl said. News

> Bayer ($BAY) has settled a pet treatment patent suit with Cipla, in a deal that requires the Indian drugmaker to surrender profits of more than $100,000 from sales of the flea-prevention product. Item

> The FDA is relaxing risk-management requirements on the platelet drugs Nplate, from Amgen ($AMGN), and Promacta, from GlaxoSmithKline ($GSK). Article

Biotech News

 @FierceBiotech: Roche CEO says pharma is facing a turbulent "perfect storm." More | Follow @FierceBiotech

 @JohnCFierce: Here's a smart idea: In-license drugs tested/proved in humans to treat dogs/cats. But were the humans treated humanely? Release | Follow @JohnCFierce

 @RyanMFierce: NIH pumping $416M into sequencing projects over next 4 years, highlights new funding for rare diseases. Story | Follow @RyanMFierce

 @FierceMedDev: Tribogenics Raises $2.5 Million to Transform X-Ray Industry. Release | Follow @FierceMedDev

> Surge in Lilly shares highlights perils, potential of Alzheimer's drugs. Article

> Report: How savvy Pharmasset persuaded Gilead to boost its offer by 37%. News

Medical Device News

> EyeBrain tech to be used in Parkinson's trial. More

> Oracle urges Thoratec to find buyer. Story

> 5 Innovative Michigan companies. Report

Drug Delivery News

> AA battery triggers drug delivery, Stanford U finds. Article

> ViroPharma, Halozyme tackle hereditary angioedema treatment. Story

> Ampio to seek foreign OKs for premature ejaculation drug. More

Biomarkers News

> MicroRNA marks ovarian cancer outcome. News

> Blood test could spot autoimmune kidney attack. Item

> Biomarker test could mean early lung cancer diagnosis. Article

And Finally... Healthcare reform in the U.S. saved Medicare recipients an average of $569 in drug spending this year. Story