St. Jude Medical and Volcano battle in patent suit; AdvaMed says device tax will be difficult to implement;

 @FierceMedDev: Exagen raised $5.3M for Dx development. News | Follow @FierceMedDev

 @MarkHFierce: As the House looks to IRS implementation of the device tax, AdvaMed continues to fight it. Release | Follow @MarkHFierce

 @DamianFierce: GE touts positive Phase III for its next-gen Alzheimer's imaging agent. Next step: FDA application. More | Follow @DamianFierce

> St. Jude Medical ($STJ) and Volcano are embroiled in a patent suit over arterial blood flow technology, and a Leerink Swann analyst says St. Jude holds the advantage as the case progresses. Report

> AdvaMed president and CEO Stephen Ubl says the device tax will be "extremely challenging" for both companies and the IRS to implement when it goes into effect in 2013. Item

> Varian ($VAR) got the OK from Chinese regulators to market its Unique system, a single-energy machine for treating cancer with advanced forms of image-guided radiotherapy. More

> California devicemaker Penumbra has snagged Japanese approval for its Penumbra Coil 400 intracranial aneurysm device. Article

> Arrowhead Medical Device Technologies is launching the second generation of a device to treat hammertoe, the Memphis Business Journal reports. Story

> Joe DeVivo, president and CEO of medical device company AngioDynamics, earned $3.53 million in the previous fiscal year. Story

> Longitude Venture Partners, a firm focused on medical device and other biotech investments, has raised more than $331 million and is looking to reach $375 million. News

> Diagnostics firm Sequenom ($SQNM) is looking to raise up to $100 million with an offering of convertible senior notes. Release

Biotech News

 @FierceBiotech: Enzyme deletion slashes Alzheimer's plaque production. Story | Follow @FierceBiotech

 @JohnCFierce: Impressive. Sweden investing $320M in biotech, mostly Stockholm-Uppsala region. Release | Follow @JohnCFierce

 @RyanMFierce: AstraZeneca and Broad team up on discovery of infectious disease drugs. Add to long list of pharma/academia tie-ups. More | Follow @RyanMFierce

> FDA review backs Cornerstone's new heart drug - with a hitch. Story

> Is there an Alzheimer's Act II in the cards for bapi, solanezumab? More

Pharma News

 @FiercePharma: Citi says lax cash management costs Big Pharma big bucks. Item | Follow @FiercePharma

> India opens up its drugmakers to foreign investment. More

> Novartis swings for fences in battle over Gleevec patent in India. Article

> Pharma pins new social media hopes on Pinterest. Story

Biotech Research News

> Personalized lung cancer treatments are already out there, researchers conclude. Story

> Respiratory virus tried as targeted cancer treatment. More

> StemCells wins $20M grant to fuel preclinical Alzheimer's treatment advance. Report

> Swedish scientists to test gene therapy for excessively high bone density. Item

Pharma Manufacturing News

> FDA's Woodcock changing up drug quality oversight. Item

> CSL secures U.S. contract to supply flu vaccine antigens. More

> Ipsen keeps up Increlex supply amid Lonza plant failures. Article

> Environmental fights drive China's Harbin to uproot drug factory. Report

> New Shire plant to feed expansion in regenerative medicine. Story