Varian Medical Systems revenue soars; Ex-CEO apologizes over faulty breast implants;

@FierceMedDev: Missouri Sen. accuses medical equipment companies of wasteful billing. Item | Follow @FierceMedDev

@MarkHFierce: Today's DxExtra: a look at a UK effort to develop an early pancreatic cancer Dx tool. Article | Follow @MarkHFierce

 @DamianFierce: Mounting recall charges ate away Stryker's modest revenue growth in Q1. Report | Follow @DamianFierce

> Invacare ($IVC) says it has made progress in getting out from under its FDA consent decree, but the ongoing manufacturing interruptions brought the company's net revenue down 4.9% last quarter. More

> Varian Medical Systems ($VAR) posted $768 million in revenue last quarter, a 7% jump over the previous year. Results

> NeuroMetrix, a maker of devices to treat diabetic peripheral neuropathy, reported more than $2.2 million in net losses during the 2013 first quarter, an improvement versus a $2.75 million net loss over the same period in 2012. Release

> Johnson & Johnson's ($JNJ) Ethicon business has launched a surgical energy device, designed for dissection, sealing, transection and otomy creation. News

> Vascular Solutions ($VASC) has been thwarted in its efforts to get out of a federal lawsuit over how it marketed its varicose vein devices. Article

> Life Care Medical Devices won a CE mark for its Keyhole Cup laparoscopic access device. Release

> Bracco Diagnostics has sold its healthcare protective products business to Emergent BioSolutions for $26 million in cash. Item

> The FDA is partnering with Corning to develop a device that can detect counterfeit anti-malarial medicines. More

Biotech News

@FierceBiotech: Still trending: Merck scores 'breakthrough' status from FDA for immunotherapy against melanoma. Report | Follow @FierceBiotech

@JohnCFierce: Lotso chatter about tivozanib this morning. Personally, I suspect the FDA will give it an OK, then Aveo will face a kickback in commercial. | Follow @JohnCFierce

@RyanMFierce: Treato scores $14.5M VC round, tackles social media analytics for pharma. Release | Follow @RyanMFierce

> Radius nabs $43M round for PhIII bone-building drug. Item

> Eli Lilly slugs it out with J&J on Alzheimer's drug patent claim. Report

> Experienced biotech team snags $33M for promising PhII cholesterol drug. More

> Acumen Pharma reveals A round closing to fund Alzheimer's drug research. News

Pharma News

@FiercePharma: Check out Argentina for pharma market growth: New research forecasts $15b by 2020, up from $5.6b last year. More | Follow @FiercePharma

@EricPFierce: Government-funded vaccine plant in Thailand draws the attention of corruption investigators. Report | Follow @EricPFierce

> U.S. feds launch probe into AstraZeneca plant in U.K. Article

> New Bristol-Myers drug growth cushions plummeting Plavix sales. More

> Analysts skeptical as AstraZeneca sales, earnings sink. Report

Vaccines News

> Possible measles-related death in Wales as outbreak spreads. Item

> Novartis expands cell culture site to bolster biodefense. News

> China's response to H7N9 earns WHO praise. Story

> No link between vaccines and Guillain-Barré in big study. Article

> Panacea Biotec accused of selling expired vaccines. More

Pharma Manufacturing News

> FDA gets Corning to refine agency-designed counterfeit drug scanner. Item

> Eisai building plant in China to manufacture parenteral products. Story

> AstraZeneca hears from prosecutor, not FDA, about cGMPs at U.K. plant. Report

> BD quickly rolling out second drug from new injectables plant. Article

And Finally... The disgraced former CEO of Poly Implant Prothese has apologized for the first time to patients who received faulty breast implants made by the now-defunct French company. Story