FDA ponders need for heart studies ahead of drug approvals; New VC fund takes shape for Scotland;

 @FierceBiotech: Amgen's AMG 145 cuts cholesterol by 66% in early-stage trial involving patients taking statins. Article | 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

> Should obesity drug developers be required to study cardiovascular risks ahead of an approval? That's a question that an FDA advisory committee will consider later this week, and their answer could have a big impact on three companies angling for an approval. Report

> Scottish Enterprises is reportedly partnering with a venture group to set up a new fund that will invest in startup companies. The fund will deploy "tens of millions of pounds." Report

> New Haven, CT-based BioRelix reportedly raised $2.6 million to help fund its work on infectious disease treatments. Story

> Investigators say that a pilot study demonstrated that adding the anti-inflammatory bindarit improved angiographic outcomes in stable coronary artery disease patients treated with a bare-metal stent. Item (reg. req.)

Pharma News

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

> J&J's Risperdal cases head to court in Texas, Arkansas. Article

> Bare shelves in docs' sample closets as pharma overhauls sales. Story

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... Doctors at the Texas Heart Institute say that injections of bone marrow stem cells spurred a modest benefit in young patients suffering from heart disease. Report