@FiercePharma: Happy Monday, FP readers. Tops this weekend: Merck whacks 600 sales reps as part of 8,500 bloodletting. Article | Follow @FiercePharma
@TracyStaton: ICYMI last week: CVS Caremark lays out case for new specialty-drug pricing approach in JAMA editorial. More | Follow @TracyStaton
@EricPFierce: J&J has 9-month supply of Doxil and getting new contractors line up. It's done with Bedford plant. Article | Follow @EricPFierce
@CarlyHFierce: As legislator rails on potential Valeant-Allergan deal, Wall Street lines up to fund it. More | Follow @CarlyHFierce
> Novartis' ($NVS) Alcon unit won approval in Europe for its glaucoma fighter Simbrinza; the drug was approved in the U.S. last year. Release
> Aspen Pharmacare said its stockpiles of HIV drugs are growing because of delays in government tenders for new three-in-one pills approved last April. Report
> AstraZeneca ($AZN) has teamed up with Qiagen ($QGEN) to develop a blood-based diagnostic test to identify the best patients for its lung cancer drug Iressa, and a similar deal with Roche ($RHHBY) for a diagnostic on its in-development treatment AZD9291. Report | Release
> West Virginia plaintiffs filed 13 more lawsuits against Pfizer ($PFE) alleging its Zoloft antidepressant caused their babies to be born with birth defects; the first trials in federal litigation over Zoloft's potential risk of birth defects are scheduled for September in Pennsylvania. Report
> Use of generic drugs in the U.K. grew to more than 75% of prescriptions last year, saving the National Health Service an additional £1.3 billion ($2.2 billion) annually, the U.K. government says. Release
> Indian drugmaker Wockhardt pared gains of as much as 18% Monday after the company said it doesn't plan to sell a stake. Report
Medical Device News
@FierceMedDev: Qiagen sees blood cancer biomarker Dx potential in University of Tokyo patents. FierceDiagnostics story | Follow @FierceMedDev
@StacyALawrence: Bard is acquisition shopping--with $1B in cash and pressure from Medtronic/Covidien merger. More | Follow @StacyALawrence
@VarunSaxena2: Surgeon: "Just banning the power morcellator is not going to change healthcare for women at all." More | Follow @VarunSaxena2
@MichaelGFierce: Most absorbent material on Earth gives poorly soluble drugs a boost. FierceDrugDelivery story | Follow @MichaelGFierce
@EmilyWFierce: Hospira reportedly in talks with Danone for $5B "spinversion" deal. More from the NYT | Follow @EmilyWFierce
> Op-ed: Government regulations too strict in healthcare business. Item
> Registry data shows high risk of blood clot among users of Abbott's bioresorbable stent. Report
> Apple poised to take a bite out of wearable device market with patent approved for iWatch. Article
Biotech News
@FierceBiotech: We're looking for 2014's Fiercest women in biotech. More | Follow @FierceBiotech
@JohnCFierce: With billionaire's backing, Wyss spinout aims to retire animals in R&D. News | Follow @JohnCFierce
@DamianFierce: "I wish the executives who are worried about management styles would spend some time in my home." $SRPT. More from Bloomberg Businessweek | Follow @DamianFierce
@EmilyMFierce: Top 10 animal health companies of 2013. FIerceAnimalHealth feature by @EricPFierce and @JustinHeifetz | Follow @EmilyMFierce
> The Pfizer dilemma: Spurned by AstraZeneca, revenue falling and facing an R&D crisis. More
> AcelRx shares plunge after FDA rejects its pain drug/device system. News
> PaxVax nails down $62M to complete vaccine buyout, PhIII study. Item
> Zealand inks a $402M cardio-metabolic peptide program with Boehringer. Article
CRO News
> Icon will teach Cambridge students how to market drugs. Story
> Contractor ABL snags an immune-focused CRO. News
> Otsuka, Horizon team up on early-stage development. Item
> SRI's in-house CRO inks a $49M deal with NIH. Article
> Basilea picks Quintiles to move its antibiotic in Europe. More
Biotech IT News
> Report tips computational biology market to top $4.2B by 2020. News
> Cancer experts warn EU data law could 'halt' research. More
> Cancer researchers tap computers to support preclinical go/no-go decisions. Item
> Google gathering data to build a picture of a healthy human. Story
> Broad Institute set to swell psychiatric databases using $650M gift. Article
Animal Health News
> In Purina v. Blue Buffalo, how far will manufacturers go? Item
> Eco's poultry and swine antibiotic Aivlosin key to revenue growth. More
> USDA, Nebraska U. researchers find no danger in Merck's Zilmax. Story
> North American sales propel growth at Abaxis. Report
> Court stands with FDA on its approach to antibiotics use in farm animals. Article
And Finally... A proposal in the U.S. House of Representatives would speed up FDA approval for drugs already approved for sale in the E.U. Report