NICE gives restricted OK to Sanofi's Multaq; FDA opens door to Shire drug copycat;

@FiercePharma: Pfizer's Sutent falls flat in lung cancer. Article | Follow @FiercePharma

> In a victory for Sanofi-Aventis, the U.K. cost watchdog NICE has given a restricted approval to Multaq as a second line treatment for atrial fibrillation patients. Report

> British drugmaker Shire could face competition from a generic version of its gastrointestinal drug Pentasa after a ruling from U.S. regulators. Story

> Ovarian cancer test shows near 100 percent accuracy. Article

> Britain's cost watchdog won't recommend Novartis' key oncology drug Gleevec as a follow-up treatment for stomach cancer patients, due to cost/benefit considerations. Item

> Stirling Pharma's new Canadian plant will open its doors in late September, and first to come off the production line will be the drug acetaminophen. News

> Medco probes usefulness of markers for antipsychotics. Report

> Federal health officials are gearing up to persuade more Americans to get vaccinated against the flu this fall in the aftermath of last year's pandemic. Article

> Renin emerges as a definitive marker for hypertension drugs. Story

> A review of U.S. capabilities has concluded that the time to produce a pandemic vaccine could be halved through adoption of short-term policies. Report

Biotech News

 @FierceBiotech: Eisai reports upbeat results from PhIII epilepsy study. Article | Follow @FierceBiotech

 @JohnCFierce:If a sitting president can't trump a federal judge on embryonic stem cell policy, I'll be very surprised. | Follow @JohnCFierce

> Notch inhibitors may offer breakthrough on brain cancer. Article

> Stem cell researchers slammed with funding freeze. Report

> Dahlen tapped as NeuroSearch CEO. Story

Drug Delivery News

> Tel Aviv researchers create new weapon against cancer. News

> Vyteris, Georgia Tech to develop transdermal drug delivery. Report

> E-cigarette battle lines form in federal court. Item

> Roche staples together Aileron deal worth up to $1.1 billion. News

> The eyes have it for non-viral gene therapy. Story

> Celsion's ThermoDox liver cancer trials get fast-tracked. Article

Medical Device News

 @FierceMedDev: Researchers have found no benefit to gender-specific knee transplants. Article | Follow @FierceMedDev

> Medtronic hit hard on Q1 results. Item

> J&J unit warned on hip and knee replacement systems. Item

> NeuroVista raises $21.5 million for epilepsy device. Story

> Roche purchases BioImagene for approx. $100 million. Article

> Boston Sci fetes Minn employees. Report

> J&J unit recalls contact lenses in certain Asian, European markets. Story

And Finally... Adding an experimental drug to chemotherapy helped wipe out brain cancer cells in mice, offering a promising new treatment approach for the deadly cancer. Report