Melinta raises $30M in financing; ALK, bioCSL ink partnership;

@FierceBiotech: Buoyed by 6-week hep C data, Achillion sets out to test even faster cure. Report | Follow @FierceBiotech

@JohnCFierce: $RGLS slides after hep C contender's results underwhelm investors. $RGLS down 17%; mixed data for hep C at this stage? More | Follow @JohnCFierce

@DamianFierce: Impressed Achillion has been so successful considering its name sounds like a 6-year-old trying to think of a really big number. | Follow @DamianFierce

> Melinta Therapeutics says it has lined up $30 million in debt financing. Release

> ALK and bioCSL today announced that they have entered into a long-term partnership covering three ALK products in Australia and New Zealand. Release

Medical Device News

@FierceMedDev: Medtronic settles with DOJ over false Medicare claims for neurostimulation devices. More | Follow @FierceMedDev

@VarunSaxena2: ICYMI: Study: Intuitive's da Vinci surgical robot enables more minimally invasive surgeries in kidney cancer patients. Story | Follow @VarunSaxena2

@EmilyWFierce: Quest and Myriad Genetics end BRCA patent battle. Release | Follow @EmilyWFierce

> U.S. DOJ probes Olympus over kickbacks, false marketing claims. More

> Swedish asthma diagnostic company Aerocrine raises $53M after recent FDA nod. News

Pharma News

@FiercePharma: Merck hands over #China joint venture to partner Simcere Pharma. News  | Follow @FiercePharma

@CarlyHFierce: Daiichi's new clot-fighter Savaysa can't make up for $2.6B Benicar patent loss: analysts. More | Follow @CarlyHFierce

> FDA to pharma: Scrap that fine-print risk info in DTC ads. Story

> Drugmakers fall in line with Pakistani government's price-cutting plans. Article

> Roche boasts new Lucentis approval for retinal damage in diabetes. News

Biotech IT News

> FDA seeks budget boost for precision medicine IT infrastructure. More

> Apple edges ahead of Google in race to become a health data repository. Report

> Medidata posts 50% jump in partial SDV clients as risk-based monitoring takes off. Story

> TrialReach raises $13.5M for clinical trial-patient matching service. Item

> Merck joins Novartis, Pfizer on tech-enabled protein consortium with $6M buy in. Article

CRO News

> Quintiles' founder heads for the exit after 30-plus years as chairman. News

> BioClinica touts a big year for its eClinical biz. More

> TrialReach raises $13.5M to connect patients with studies. Story

> Icon buys a market-access firm for $120M. Article

> Covance ticks up revenue on the eve of a merger. Report

Animal Health News

> Ahead of AmerisourceBergen merger, MWI charts double-digit sales growth. Item

> New pet-care apps arm owners, veterinarians with mobile diagnostic tools. More

> Nexvet Biopharma sees sluggish market reception following IPO. Report

> Pet tear-stain removers still widely available despite FDA warnings. Story

> Pet owners jump on antivaccine bandwagon, ignoring veterinarians' advice. Article