Sanofi loses appeal on Taxotere patent; Third proxy firm backs Illumina over Roche;

@FiercePharma: WSJ previews Q1 earnings. Gist: Patent cliff rules. Pfizer's 1st full Q with Lipitor rivals, Lilly's with Zyprexa. More | Follow @FiercePharma

> Sanofi ($SNY) lost its bid to overturn a 2010 ruling that invalidated two U.S. patents on Taxotere; the cancer drug already faces generic rivals in the U.S. and Europe. Report

> Glass, Lewis & Co. became the third proxy firm to advise Illumina ($ILMN) shareholders against Roche's ($RHHBY.PK) nominees to the board, part of its move to take over the gene-sequencing company. Story

> European Medicines Agency officials are calling for open access to clinical trial data, in light of concerns about data on Roche's flu-fighting drug Tamiflu. Item

> Pfizer ($PFE) has to fight some liability claims related to its bankrupt Quigley unit, which produced asbestos-containing products from the 1940s to the 1970s. Article

> Indian government efforts to hold drugmakers to a marketing code have faltered, the India Times says. News

> Health products distributor Henry Schein has snapped up a European veterinary products distributor to gain access to animal health markets in Belgium and the Netherlands. Piece

Biotech News

@FierceBiotech: 'Hitchhiking' gold nanostars can sneak into cancer cells. More | Follow @FierceBiotech

@JohnCFierce: With Lipitor and Plavix out of the top 10, Abbott's Humira will take the top spot among best-sellers. Article | Follow @JohnCFierce

@RyanMFierce: An Arkansas jury rules against $JNJ in Risperdal marketing case, state AG says J&J 'lied.' Story  | Follow @RyanMFierce

> Threshold Pharma lands $20M milestone from Merck KGaA. News

> RNAi developer Arrowhead snags startup Alvos in stock deal. More

Medical Devices News

 @FierceMedDev: Tough luck, St. Jude: No retraction for you. News | Follow @FierceMedDev

> Ex-Orthofix VP pleads guilty over kickback. Article

> Report: Diabetes Dx market to hit $32B by 2017. More

Drug Delivery News

> Bind touts positive results for cancer-fighting nanoparticles. Article

> Natural mucoadhesive tablet delivers anti-cancer spice. Story

> Liquidia CEO: Nanotech will outpace biotech. More

> Is reformulation discouraging innovation? Piece

Biomarkers News

> Genomic sequencing--is it of value? Commentary

> Lung metastasis may be marked by tumor cell protein. More

> Scientists seek breast cancer biomarkers in a drop of blood. Article

> ARISk launched to screen for sibling autism risk. News

> Proteome Sciences shares jump on licensing deal. Item

And Finally... Fish-oil supplements may not prevent heart attacks and strokes in people who already have heart disease, a study finds. Report