ALSO NOTED: US Oncology's CFO retires; Profits rise at Novartis, Merck, Lilly; and much more...

> US Oncology's CFO Rick McCook is resigning to explore opportunities in a retail or manufacturing business. Release

> Good financial results from three Pharma biggies should cheer up those market-watchers who moaned their way through much of last week. Sure, a couple of the profit leaps came at least in part from one-time gains. But increases are always better than the alternative. Report

> Seeking Alpha profiles Synta's metastatic melanoma therapy Elesclomol. Report

> Last week, we reported on Big Pharma's march on the capital in support of new off-label marketing rules. Now, opponents of those rules are drawing on another of last week's news events for support: the Vioxx ghostwriting story. Report

> A Roche distributor tattled to India's Drug Controller General, accusing Cipla of promoting its generic version of a Roche drug for an unapproved use. Report

And Finally... Higher food prices and grain shortages are changing attitudes toward biotech crops. Report