Merck KGaA sharpens budget ax for new round of cuts; Isis gains $25M milestone on Sanofi's mipomersen NDA;

@FierceBiotech: 23andMe stakes a claim on Parkinson's gene. More | Follow @FierceBiotech

@JohnCFierce: Phase III starts in June: Sanofi/Regeneron add to stockpile of promising PCSK9 LDL drug data. Item | Follow @JohnCFierce

> Merck KGaA is reportedly preparing a fresh round of job cuts in Europe. Dow Jones reports that the pharma company may virtually shutter a facility in Lyon, France, cutting 450 workers. Story

> Isis has scored a $25 million milestone payment following the FDA's acceptance of Sanofi's application for mipomersen (Kynamro),a new drug for omozygous familial hypercholesterolemia developed by Genzyme. Release

> Cambridge, MA-based Ensemble Therapeutics has inked a drug discovery collaboration with Genentech. Release

> Tranzyme Pharma has received solid supporting data demonstrating that its gastrointestinal drug ulimorelin doesn't work as hoped. A second Phase III study shows it didn't work any better than a placebo. Story

> Bungled analysis forces Vertex to revise cystic fibrosis drug data. News

> Lilly backs $150M Montreal biotech fund for single-project startups. Story

> Insider accounts spur a reported bidding war for Amylin. Article

> Senator takes a stab at repeating biotech R&D credit program. More

Pharma News

@FiercePharma: Remember that U.K. recall where Seroquel packs got into boxes of a popular painkiller? The perp is in jail for 18 months. Story | Follow @FiercePharma

> Big Pharma sweats outcome of Supreme Court ruling. Report

> Teva says no thank you to generic Lipitor. News

> Roche tightens credit for long-past-due hospitals in Spain, Portugal. Item

> Sanofi, Merck reportedly place bids for Amylin. Article

Medical Devices News

@FierceMedDev: Arizona State researchers are working with NASA to develop a way to diagnose bone loss by testing calcium in urine. Story | Follow @FierceMedDev

@MarkHFierce: Folks, there's still time to submit your nominations for the FierceMedicalDevices Fierce 15 private device developers. Survey | Follow @MarkHFierce

> Boston Scientific's GI balloon dilator gains expanded FDA nod. Report

> Investors pursue medical devices that can do a drug's job. News

> FDA wants reanalysis of St. Jude heart implant. Item

> Siemens victory stands in ruling over PET scanner imaging crystal patents. Article

Pharma Manufacturing News

> Drug shortages deepen as Pakistan debates price controls. Story

> Ranbaxy hires U.S. consultants under consent decree. Report

> Hospira overfills far greater than first thought. More

> As manufacturing capacity halves, CMO revenue could double in Europe. Analysis

Biotech IT News

> BGI and Big Pharma probe trigger of liver cancer. Article

> 23andMe stakes a claim on Parkinson's gene. Item

> Roche re-enlists software for personalized medicine research. News

> Broken link found in electronic clinical trial startups. Report

Biotech Research News

> Scientists decipher how T cells hunt down infection. Story

> Embryonic stem cells treat neuropathic pain in preclinical success. More

> New peptide compound triggers enhanced tumor cell death. News

> Dangerous antipsychotic shows leukemia-fighting promise in mice. Article

And Finally…The discovery of a mummified Korean child with fairly well preserved organs allowed a scientific team to reveal a unique hepatitis B virus genotype C2 sequence which is common in Southeast Asia. Release