@FiercePharma: NYT: Medicare contractor stops Avastin for breast cancer. Item | Follow @FiercePharma
> Roche's Genentech was sued by a Texas psoriasis sufferer who alleges he developed lymphoma while taking Raptiva, a drug the company stopped selling in 2009 when studies linked it to a fatal brain infection. Report
> Patents on Amgen's kidney drug, Sensipar, have been upheld in a U.S. district court ruling that also barred the sale of generic versions of the drug. News
> Prostrakan has won U.S. approval--although with restrictions--for its cancer pain drug Abstral after repeated delays over safety concerns. Story
> Taking Eli Lilly's Prozac helped stroke patients recover motor skills, according to a study confirming findings that antidepressants may have additional benefits. Report
> Pharmaceuticals marketer Stirling Products is eyeing manufacturing revenues after receiving approval to establish a plant in Canada. Item
> Shares in Smith & Nephew, Europe's largest maker of replacement knees and hips, hit a record high on a report it received an $11 billion bid last month from Johnson & Johnson, which was not disclosed. News
Biotech News
@FierceBiotech: Frazier: Merck to make "tough" spending decisions. Report | Follow @FierceBiotech
> Astellas mulls sale of subsidiary. Story
> Epizyme lands $650M GSK deal. Article
> Intermune plots another Phase III for pirfenidone. News
> Sanofi goes back to the negotiation table with Genzyme. Report
> Alkermes spinout Civitas Therapeutics nabs $20M to fuel Parkinson's program. News
> Motavizumab discontinuation could spur deals, progress in RSV arena. Article
Biotech IT News
> Meta-analysis challenges statin use in cardio treatment. News
> Mannkind on "worst" list for handling of suspect data. Item
> Framework can unlock volumes of siloed clinical data. Report
> Validated diabetes model tweaks trial design, therapy. Story
> iPhone, 3G show potential for trials. News
> FDA drafts expectations for clinical e-data. Article
And Finally... Drug recalls linked to shipping pallets could lead to trouble for the wood industry, officials said. Report