German agency reverses on Alzheimer's drug; Watson beats on Q1 profits, raises targets;

@FiercePharma:  HHS move to bar Solomon raises pharma fears. News | Follow @FiercePharma

> Germany's healthcare cost-effectiveness watchdog has changed its mind on Merz's Alzheimer's disease drug memantine--more than a year after initially rejecting it--saying that new data shows the drug does benefit patients. Report

> Watson Pharmaceuticals posted an adjusted quarterly profit that beat analysts' expectations, helped by higher gross margins at its global generics segment, and raised its 2011 earnings outlook. Story

> Company, university look for Alzheimer's biomarkers in cerebrospinal fluid. Item

> India's Lupin inked a license agreement with Abbott Laboratories and Laboratoires Fournier for eight patents on cholesterol-lowering drug fenofibrate. Article

> Millennium and its parent company Takeda Pharmaceutical said they have applied for two new indications for the cancer drug Velcade. Story

> A lack of evidence and an unconvincing patient access scheme has seen PharmaMar fail to win NICE backing for its cancer drug Yondelis. News

> King Saud University proud of its Biomarkers Research Program. Story 

> For only the second time since the debut of its Bad Ad program nearly a year ago, FDA's Division of Drug Marketing, Advertising and Communications issued a warning letter prompted by a Bad Ad complaint. Report

> Chinese regulators awarded GMP certification to Hebei Aoxing Pharmaceutical, a subsidiary of Aoxing Pharmaceutical, for its newly relocated pre-treatment, extraction, tincture and pill facilities. Item

> GlaxoSmithKline's Lamictal won the FDA nod for broader use as a treatment for partial seizures in patients 13 years and older. Story

> Sagent Pharmaceuticals has closed its initial public offering with about 6.6 million shares sold, as underwriters fully exercised their option to purchase extra shares; the price to the public was $16 per share. Report

> Bristol-Myers Squibb, which recently got approval of an important new skin cancer drug but is facing a sharp revenue drop next year, will report first-quarter results before the stock market opens Thursday. News

> Purdue Pharma has sued Ranbaxy Laboratories to prevent India's largest drugmaker from selling a generic version of its bestselling medicine, pain reliever Oxycontin, in the U.S. Article

>Telomeres tell the tale of stress relief in cancer patients. Report 

Biotech News

 @FierceBiotech: VCs, Big Pharma join forces to tackle market challenges. News  | Follow @FierceBiotech

 @JohnCFierce: FDA team applauds telaprevir's efficacy, raises safety concerns. Report | Follow @JohnCFierce

> Post-merger Genzyme opens up the throttle on R&D plans. Article

> Lilly wants to prove next-gen schizophrenia drug has a blockbuster future. Report 

> Endocyte shares spike on plan to seek early approval for lead cancer drug. Story 

> Sanofi, Regeneron buoyed by Ph3 colon cancer success for aflibercept. News 

Drug Delivery News

> DNAsomes harness double-helix power to deliver drugs. News 

> Drug-delivery mechanisms give culinary industry food for thought. Story

> Protocells blow away liposomes in drug-delivery showdown. Report 

> Nanobarrels dispense nanodisks for flexible drug delivery. Item

> MonoSol Rx, KemPharm partner on abuse-resistant ADHD drug. Report 

Medical Devices News

> FDA clears Biomet hip system. Story 

>  Acacia unit, Cordis resolve litigation. Report 

> Tibion, Im-Able, look to help stroke patients. News 

> J&J to buy Synthes for $21.3B. Article 

> Becton Dickinson sees strong Q2 results, beats expectations. News 

And Finally... Nearly three of five children with newly diagnosed epilepsy do not take their antiepileptic medications as prescribed over the first six months of therapy, researchers said. Report