St. Jude touts MRI-safe leads; Olympus to distribute BrainLab's imaging software;

@FierceMedDev: Zimmer partners with MiMedx to sell bioimplants to promote healing. Article | Follow @FierceMedDev

@MichaelGFierce: Vaxxas' nanopatch garners WHO support in search of #polio vax application. Story | Follow @MichaelGFierce

@VarunSaxena2: Court ruling against FDA should enable more combination products to be classified as devices. Article | Follow @VarunSaxena2

@EmilyWFierce: British startup launches crowdfunding effort for 3-D printed orthotic devices. More | Follow @EmilyWFierce

> St. Jude ($STJ) received CE mark approval to expand its labeling the Tendril STS and IsoFlex Optim pacing leads, enabling patients with leads to receive MRI scans. The leads are used in the conjunction with the company's Accent MRI pacemaker. Release

> Frazier Healthcare's company PCI acquired U.K.-based Biotec, a provider of clinical trial services and temperature controlled therapeutic products, including engineered tissue. Release

> Olympus signed an agreement to be the exclusive U.S. distributor of BrainLab's Kick Navigation, a software enabling image guided ear, nose and throat surgery . Release

> A University of Wisconsin professor is commercializing ultrasound software that can analyze the condition of soft tissue, including its stiffness. Story

Biotech News

@FierceBiotech: FierceBiotech's 2014 Fierce 15. Congrats to those who made the list! | Follow @FierceBiotech

@JohnCFierce: Always fun to watch the web traffic explode when we blast the Fierce 15. | Follow @JohnCFierce

@DamianFierce: Merck KGaA gets around to that big deal it's been talking up: $SIAL for $17B. More | Follow @DamianFierce

> Tekmira hammers out a way to get its Ebola drug to patients. News

> Amgen pushes for early FDA OK of leukemia drug blinatumomab. Story

> Regeneron touts its allergy drug as a blockbuster in waiting. Article

Pharma News

@FiercePharma: Eylea gets yet another approval, this one in Japan. More | Follow @FiercePharma

@EricPFierce: Potentially bad news for Amphastar and its $155.7M deal if Sanofi makes insulin for Mannkind. Article | Follow @EricPFierce

@CarlyHFierce: Inversion pushback won't scare Horizon Pharma out of Ireland move. Story | Follow @CarlyHFierce

> Auxilium says Endo offer not enough to break off with QLT. News

> Merck KGaA declares $17B Sigma purchase 'quantum leap' as drug biz struggles. Article

> Eylea gets yet another approval, this one in Japan. More

CRO News

> Packaging outfit PCI buys trial supplier Biotec. News

> Survey says: Big CROs are only getting bigger. Report

> CRO FlowMetric gets into diagnostics with new spinout. Story

> TransCelerate dishes on risk-based monitoring. Item

> Covance borrows Fresenius' data to improve kidney treatments. Article

Biotech IT News

> Vivametrica makes pitch for mHealth data aggregation and analysis market. Report

> Stanford and Duke to trial Apple's HealthKit for remote data collection. More

> Merck survey finds patients willing to share NGS data with pharma companies. Story

> BBK bags $3M to expand its eClinical suite. Item

> AstraZeneca opens Indian IT center as 13-year outsourcing experiment nears end. Article

Animal Health News

> Work on the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility continues. More

> EU gives nod to Merck's poultry vaccine to fight infectious bronchitis. Report

> Phibro reports strong sales in animal growth and nutrition sectors. Article

> Will Zoetis stand alone when Big Pharma's music stops? More

> Packaging outfit PCI buys trial supplier Biotec. Story