NICE says 'yes' to Boehringer and Lilly's Jardiance for Type 2 diabetes; J&J gets green light for Xarelto from U.K. cost watchdog;

@FiercePharma: Harvard engineer taps immunotherapy for insights into nonsurgical pet sterilization. FierceAnimalHealth story | Follow @FiercePharma

@EricPFierce: Actavis explains the recall of generic Neurontin was limited to 2,000 bottles shipped to one customer. FiercePharmaManufacturing story | Follow @EricPFierce

> U.K. cost watchdog NICE signed off on Boehringer Ingelheim and Eli Lilly's ($LLY) Jardiance for Type 2 diabetes. Story

> Johnson & Johnson's ($JNJ) Xarelto got a thumbs-up from NICE in final draft guidance as a treatment for blood clots in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). More

> Shire ($SHPG) is touting NPS Pharmaceuticals' ($NPSP) FDA approval for hypoparathyroidism drug Natpara as further validation for its takeover of the company. Article

> Ipsen unveiled promising results for its cervical dystonia med Dysport in two double-blind phase II studies in children and in adults. More

> Bayer's Korea unit has named Ingrid Drechsel as its new CEO. Story

> Johnson & Johnson is taking its fight with Internet contact lens firm 1-800 Contacts over pricing strategy for products to the Oregon Legislature. More

Medical Device News

@FierceMedDev: ICYMI: Profit down 12% at Intuitive Surgical, but procedure volume up due to strength abroad and in general surgery. Report | Follow @FierceMedDev

@VarunSaxena2: GE Healthcare says strong U.S. growth offset weakness abroad. Story | Follow @VarunSaxena2

@EmilyWFierce: Obama and Narendra Modi scheduled to meet with top U.S. and Indian execs today to discuss business barriers. Story from the WSJ (sub. req.) | Follow @EmilyWFierce

> Study shows ventricular assist devices allow diseased hearts to regenerate muscle. Story

> Neurostim dry eye startup backed by Kleiner Perkins, NEA readies for CE mark. More

> FDA approves first glucose-monitoring app for mobile devices. Article

Biotech News

@FierceBiotech: Sanofi, Regeneron capture a shot at first-mover advantage in the PCSK9 market. Report | Follow @FierceBiotech

@JohnCFierce: Rockwell's dialysis drug wins an FDA OK, despite lingering doubts. Article | Follow @JohnCFierce

@DamianFierce: Under-rated aspect of $GILD's hep C dominance: correctly spelling "hepatology." More | Follow @DamianFierce

> Novartis hands off another PhIII drug to Array. News

> Pfizer has $33B and the M&A world at its feet. More

> FDA approves NPS Pharma's drug, burnishing Shire's $5.2B bet. Report

Biotech IT News

> EMA posts guide to help IT teams with its new pharmacovigilance database. News

> Obama talks up precision meds, cybersecurity in SOTU speech. More

> $4B VC shop lays out its vision for the future of digital health. Story

> GoBalto eyes Asian expansion after $12M Mitsui-led financing. Report

> BIO is preparing small biotechs for life in the social media maelstrom. Article

CRO News

> Trial tech outfit goBalto bags $12M to expand around the world. Report

> PPD beefs up its Irish outpost with a new biologics lab. News

> Australian CRO Novotech firms up its Hong Kong presence. More

> EMA wants more than 700 drugs suspended over GVK data scandal. Story

> Covance pools its early-stage R&D services into one offering. Article

Animal Health News

> Report: Merck said to be testing lower dosage Zilmax to revive sales. More

> Bayer study reveals growth opportunity for vet clinics in fighting parasites. Item

> Valeant CEO quashes rumors of Zoetis buyout bid. Article

> Harvard engineer taps immunotherapy for insights into nonsurgical pet sterilization. Story

> Report: Livestock research lab prioritizes profits over animal health. More

And Finally… Experts are worried that measles could re-establish itself in the U.S. in light of the recent Disneyland outbreak. Story