Sequenom slashes staff; GeneNews restructures; Ambrx hires CSO;

@FierceBiotech: ICYMI from FierceBiotechIT: Pfizer taps online marketplace for outsourcing research. Story | Follow @FierceBiotech

@JohnCFierce: I wonder if this will reignite some old rumors of a Novartis buyout for MorphoSys. I suspect so. Article | Follow @JohnCFierce

@RyanMFierce: Pfizer's social head touted some of the internal and external feats of the pharma giant. More | Follow @RyanMFierce

The diagnostics company Sequenom has opted to cut 75 staffers--or about 12% of its workforce--after running into problems gaining reimbursements from insurers. Story

Canada's GeneNews says it has restructured its molecular diagnostics operation. Release

San Diego-based Ambrx named Peter Kiener, the former CEO and cofounder of Zyngenia, as chief scientific officer. Release

Medical Device News

@FierceMedDev: Covidien yanks syringes over sterility risk. Report | Follow @FierceMedDev

@DamianFierce: Introducing B-a-MedFounder, a new crowdfunding platform for medical devices. ICYM yesterday's popular story | Follow @DamianFierce

@MarkHFierce: Medtronic reported a double-digit increase in net earnings during Q1. Release | Follow @MarkHFierce

**@MichaelGFierce:**ICYMI: Platinum-based radiotherapy method zaps cancer with nanomeds. More from FierceDrugDelivery | Follow @MichaelGFierce

Applied Proteomics lands $28M for diagnostics. Story

Quest to sell Thermo Fisher's peanut allergy diagnostic. Item

Boston Scientific eyes FDA with PAD stent. Article

Bard grabs Medafor for $200M, diving deep into the blood-clotting business. Report

Pharma News

@FiercePharma: Popular this morning on our website: Eli Lilly's $15B battle for longer Alimta monopoly hits court today. Story | Follow @FiercePharma

@CarlyHFierce: The gang at FierceBiotech is looking for 2013's fiercest women in biotech. Submit nominations here.| Follow @CarlyHFierce

Analyst to Merck: Get to work chopping costs, preferably $1B-plus. Story

Shire said to enlist help fighting off unwanted takeover. More

Pharma Manufacturing News

@EricPFierce: WSJ: Eisai sues DEA to get it to move on epilepsy drug Fycompa which FDA approved in October. FiercePharma story | Follow @EricPFierce

FDA program would allow inspectors to focus on trouble spots. More

Ben Venue trimming manufacturing, jobs at troubled plant. Story

Zydus Cadila injects $160M into injectables. Report

Coup de grâce for Boehringer Ingelheim Virginia plant. More

Ukraine sentences drug counterfeiter to 4 years. Item

Biotech Research News

**@EmilyMFierce:**The latest at FierceBiotechResearch.com: Nerve cell death reversed in Parkinson's cells. Article | Follow @EmilyMFierce

Industry-academic partnerships could help propel metabolic disease research. Editor's corner

Diabetes progression slowed in mice. Story

Inovio vaccine kills malaria, boosts immune response in animals. More

Pluristem's stem cell therapy improves tendon injuries in rats. Item

Seattle BioMed wins $16M NIH grant for TB research. Article

And Finally... Researchers at the Indiana University School of Medicine say they have identified RNA biomarkers in the blood to identify people at risk of committing suicide. Release