Xarelto study backs new clot-fighting indication; Roche extends Illumina bid, again;

 @FiercePharma: Another casualty of pharma's sales cuts: Spending on drug samples drops 25%. Rep visits fell by 35%, incidentally. More | Follow @FiercePharma

> A study comparing Bayer and Johnson & Johnson's clot-fighting drug Xarelto to combo therapy with warfarin and heparin added support to a potential new indication in patients with blood clots in their lungs. Report

> Roche once again extended its offer for the gene-sequencing firm Illumina, at the same per-share price of $44.50, a total of $5.7 billion cash. Report

> A Brazilian judge annulled Abbott Laboratories' patent on the AIDS drug Kaletra, opening the field for generics maker Critalia to produce a copycat version. Report

> The Canadian government opened up its emergency stocks of some drugs to help alleviate shortages. Report

> Teva Pharmaceutical Industries plans to sell senior notes denominated in euros and Swiss francs, aiming to raise money to pay off maturing debt. Report

> A federal judge set the dates for two bellwether trials in the litigation over Pfizer's Chantix, in which families allege the stop-smoking medicine triggered patients' suicides and other patients sue over their psychiatric problems. Report

> Amylin Pharmaceuticals and Eli Lilly said their diabetes drug Byetta won European approval for use in combination with basal insulin. Report

Biotech News

 @FierceBiotech: Sequencing DNA with a thumb drive faces skepticism. News | Follow @FierceBiotech

 @JohnCFierce: Merck: I paid $41 billion for Schering-Plough and all I got was this added risk of bleeding. Story | Follow @JohnCFierce

 @RyanMFierce: Sounds doable. Duke U. is looking for a "virtual lock box," software to ensure integrity of research data. Article | Follow @RyanMFierce

@FierceMedDev: Medtronic's Nerve-Searing Therapy Treats Hypertension for Years. Story via @BloombergNews | Follow @FierceMedDev

> Bleeding risk clouds Merck's hopes for vorapaxar franchise. Article

> FDA accusations of "corrupt" lab practices push Cetero into bankruptcy. News

> Private equity player pumping $50M into cancer drug startup. Story

> Amgen CEO's retirement pay could register at $49M. Item

Biotech IT News

> Duke seeks IT fixes to research tampering after Potti probe. More

> NIH cancer informatics drive goes under the knife. Story

> Microsoft co-founder pumping $300M into open research of the brain. News

> BioClinica and NextDocs partner on eClinical software. Item

Medical Device News

> Medtronic touts positive results with Symplicity for hypertension. News

> Yale-developed MRI penetrates bones and tissues. Item

> FDA could revoke Stryker Wingspan brain stent approval. More

> Study: Riata wires have additional risky defects. Report

> BiO2 snaps up $13.7M in Series B. News

And finally... A picture is worth more than doctor's verbal advice: When shown images of calcification in their heart arteries, patients were more likely to stick with statin therapy. Report