Sanofi, Carlyle vie for India's Elder Pharma buyout; China to punish 39 hospital employees for taking kickbacks;

@FiercePharma: Lilly sales up 6%, to $5.93B; Cymbalta up 22% (!). Too bad it gets generic rivals later this year. Release | Follow @FiercePharma

@CarlyHFierce: ICYMI yesterday: Special report on the projected top 20 orphan drugs of 2018... see who made the list. Feature | Follow @CarlyHFierce

> Sanofi ($SNY) and the private equity firm Carlyle Group are reportedly in rival talks to buy India's Elder Pharmaceuticals domestic drug business for up to $450 million. Report

> China plans to punish 39 hospital employees for taking illegal kickbacks from drugmakers as a corruption probe continues to widen beyond GlaxoSmithKline ($GSK). Report

> A U.S. appeals court slapped down the FDA's use of "enforcement discretion" to allow importation of unapproved versions of the execution drug thiopental, whose agency-reviewed version is no longer available in the U.S. Report

> The European Commission is investigating whether struggling German drugmakers have unfairly benefited from a rebate exemption. Report

> Cheered by Forest Laboratories' ($FRX) quarterly results announced Tuesday, investors bid up the stock by 2% by yesterday's close. Report

Medical Device News

@FierceMedDev: Special Report: Top 10 Med Tech Investments of Q2. Feature | Follow @FierceMedDev

@MarkHFierce: U.K. researchers believe that low levels of a specific protein can signify aggressive colorectal cancer. More | Follow @MarkHFierce

@DamianFierce: Fresh deals and booming sales have Illumina brightening its 2013 guidance. News | Follow @DamianFierce

> Boston Scientific rolls out new imaging catheter in U.S., EU and Japan. Article

> Thermo lands another record quarter with Life on horizon. More

> Bard's costly lawsuits drown profits in Q2. Report

> FDA warns Prodigy Diabetes Care over glucose testing systems. Item

Biotech News

@FierceBiotech: PR: Verastem receives orphan drug designation from the FDA for defactinib in mesothelioma. Release | Follow @FierceBiotech

@RyanMFierce: Roche highlights more upbeat PhIII data for 'breakthrough' leukemia contender. News | Follow @RyanMFierce

@EmilyMFierce: Scientists advocate for more responsible preclinical studies. Item | Follow @EmilyMFierce

> Pfizer licenses antibody tech from Atlas-backed startup Harbour. News

> Big Pharma agrees to widen access to clinical trial data. Report

> Merck advances cardio drug under FDA review. More

> Big Pharma agrees to widen access to clinical trial data. Story

> After FDA meeting, Sarepta plans fast filing for DMD drug eteplirsen. Report

Biomarkers News

> Epigenetic tags point to a new generation of age-related biomarkers. Report

> Nerves could predict aggressiveness of prostate cancer. More

> Takeda and Zinfandel advance Alzheimer's biomarker work. Story

> Plaque buildup trajectory may serve as a clue for Alzheimer's. Article

> Autism clues: UC Davis team spots two new potential biomarkers of the condition. Item

Drug Delivery News

 @MichaelGFierce: Regulus completes $49M public offering to support microRNA tech. Report | Follow @MichaelGFierce

> Novaliq secures CE mark for OTC drop to treat dry eye. News

> Supercomputer-designed hypertension drug mimics natural hormone response. Story

> Imprimis to begin osteoarthritis cream PhIII, snags transdermal wound treatment. More

> Cancer drug breaches blood-brain barrier using nanovesicles. Article

> Flowonix reports longest service life ever in 6-year Prometra trial. Item

And Finally... Breast cancer survival is three years shorter for black women compared with white women because of delayed diagnoses and treatment discrepancies. Report