@FiercePharma: Pfizer has big plans for Prevenar in China: It's aiming to penetrate rural areas as the vax market grows-Reuters. News | Follow @FiercePharma
> Merck ($MRK) raised its dividend by 11% to 42 cents per share in its first payout hike since 2004, sending shares up by 2% in early trading. News | Report
> Parallel trade is depleting U.K. supplies of some drugs, with 80% of surveyed pharmacists saying they couldn't fill certain prescriptions because of shortages. Story
> Generics maker Stada posted a loss for the first nine months of the year, because of write-downs on its Serbian business and heightened competition in Germany. Item
> GlaxoSmithKline ($GSK) bought back 850,000 of its shares for prices between 1367 and 1394 pence. Article
> India's Lupin will build up in Japan, planning to grow more than 14% annually in that market. News
> UCB released new positive data on its rheumatoid arthritis drug Cimzia, including a study showing that response by the 12th week of treatment would predict longer-term outcomes. Item
> Wolters Kluwer agreed to sell its pharma marketing and publishing services to Spring Science+Business Media. Story
> Belleville, NJ, said it would refund $1.7 million in property taxes on Roche Diagnostics' site, for overpayments made from 2007 to 2011. Report
> Baxter International ($BAX) said it wrapped up its $380 million acquisition of Baxa, a Colorado pharmacy technology company. Baxter release
Biotech News
@FierceBiotech: Sanofi drug REGN727 packs anti-cholesterol punch in Ph2 trials. News | Follow @FierceBiotech
@JohnCFierce: Merck gets 2 CRLs, from FDA, buries them in a 62-page filing. Somebody didn't get the memo on transparency. Report | Follow @JohnCFierce
@MaureenFierce: Cervical cancer vaccines may cut need for cancer screenings. Item | Follow @MaureenFierce
> FDA deals Merck two R&D setbacks with pair of CRLs. Item
> Sanofi drug packs anti-cholesterol punch in Ph2 trials. Report
Vaccines News
> Nabi explores options after NicVAX flunks trial. News
> Researchers find two potential lupus vax treatments. Item
> Gates backs microneedle polio vaccine work. Article
> PANVAC for breast, ovarian cancer shows early promise. Report
> Study: Cervarix could cut need for cancer screenings. News
Manufacturing News
> Chinese pharma exec gets suspended death sentence. Story
> Genentech, INIS demonstrate art of FDA response. Report
> International Isotopes gets FDA warning. Article
> OxyContin abuse overshadows formulation fix. News
> Manufacturing embraces IT as some drugmakers minimize R&D focus. Article
> KV crows over Makena purity as FDA checks claim. Story
And Finally... A new approach to brain monitoring finds signs of awareness in "vegetative" patients. Report