NICE blesses Pradaxa for stroke prevention; Pharma cuts sales and marketing spending 3.4%;

@FiercePharma: Foreign drugmakers may be disgruntled with India's policies, but the market is too big to ignore, the ET says. Article | Follow @FiercePharma

> The U.K.'s cost-effectiveness agency recommended Boehringer Ingelheim's anticoagulant drug Pradaxa for stroke prevention, a key endorsement as the company competes with other new-generation warfarin alternatives. News

> Pharma's worldwide spending on sales and marketing dropped 3.4% last year as companies cut back in established markets such as the U.S. and Europe but increased spending in emerging markets. More

> Canada's Apotex is suing the U.S. government for $520 million, saying an FDA import alert that kept its products out of the U.S. violates the North American Free Trade Agreement. Report

> United Therapeutics sued Sandoz, the Novartis ($NVS) generics unit, over its move to sell a copy of the pulmonary hypertension treatment Remodulin. News

> In perhaps the longest-running potential buyout ever, minority shareholders cite improved performance at Taro Pharma as justification for a higher bid from Sun Pharmaceutical, but Sun refuses. Story

> InterMune said German officials recognized the additional benefit of its pulmonary fibrosis drug Esbriet, a key step toward negotiating a price for the drug under the country's new system. Report

> Cipla Medpro South Africa said regulatory problems, including slow approval of generics and lower-than-expected HIV-drug business, weighed on its sales and shares. Article

Biotech News

@FierceBiotech: Shire ($SHPGY) nabs Bay Area's FerroKin, orphan drug in $325M buyout. News | Follow @FierceBiotech

@JohnCFierce: Merck offers $90M to bankroll new drug discovery institute in San Diego. Article | Follow @JohnCFierce

@RyanMFierce: Stanford developed an algorithm that offers a smarter way to analyze adverse drug reaction data. More | Follow @RyanMFierce

@FierceMedDev: ARM looks to refrigerators, medical devices with new chip, via CNET. Article | Follow @FierceMedDev

> Biogen Idec strikes $34M option pact with MAKScientific. Item

> Sofinnova preps Irish venture plans with $37.5M in fresh support. Story

> Did Big Pharma scuttle an attempt to radically restructure the approval pathway? More

Manufacturing News

> Pfizer's new U.K. cold storage facility has hot new vaccines line. Article

> Industry stymies effort to make it fund drug disposal program. Piece

> J&J's Weldon to get $143M in retirement. Item

> Sanofi cuts continue with closing of manufacturing plant in U.K. More

CRO News

> NeuroNEXT adds med schools to its national CNS clinical trial network. Story

> Indian CROs accuse 'Dateline' of smearing their reputations. Article

> Big quarterly loss whacks ex-Biogen chief's CMO amid transition. More

> Animal rights activists fighting one of the last supply routes for U.K. researchers. Item

> Devicemakers eye outsourcing to limit hit from Obama tax. News

Vaccines News

> Hep C vaccine heads into further clinical trials. More

> GeoVax steps closer to HIV prevention. Story

> In the clinic, Inovio's HIV vaccine treats as well as prevents. Article

> Could a vaccine crack cocaine abuse? Item

> Hand, foot and mouth vaccine triggers 100% immune response. Story

And Finally... A pain-relieving Amazonian plant is now being studied for use at the dentist's office. Report