> Rumors of a pending bidding war for Serono are heating up with reports that GlaxoSmithKline, Pfizer and Novartis may all be preparing to launch buyout efforts. Serono essentially put itself on the market last November when it asked Goldman Sachs to review alternative strategies for its future. Report
> The South Korean scientist at the center of the stem cell cloning scandal has publicly apologized for his role in the fiasco. Meanwhile, investigators reportedly raided his home in search of evidence related to the fraud. Report
> GlaxoSmithKline has confirmed shortages of some key drugs following new reports of problems at a manufacturing site in Puerto Rico. The Prudential Equity Group has reported shortages of Coreg for high blood pressure, the antidepressant Paxil CR and other therapeutics. Article
> Even as the government of Turkey insisted it had the avian flu crisis under control, the U.N. was saying that the lethal virus could now be endemic to the country, virtually impossible to wipe out. Report
> Paul McDermott, a former employee of Genentech, has alleged that Genentech and Biogen Idec illegally marketed Rituxan for off-label uses. The case was filed in Maine last July and recently unsealed. Report
> Chutes & Ladders: NexMed has appointed board member Richard Berman as its new CEO. NexMed laid off 26 percent of its workforce last month. Release
> The European Medicine Evaluations Agency has agreed to review ISTA's marketing application for Vitragan, a treatment of vitreous hemorrhage. Release
> Elite Pharmaceuticals will collaborate with Orit Laboratories to develop an extended release drug product for treatment of anxiety. Release
And Finally... Americans are growing increasingly fat, but a new survey also shows that our attitudes about weight are shifting toward greater acceptance. Report