Immunologist and virologist Professor Anne Kelso AO has been appointed as the new chief executive officer of the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) and will take up the position in April.

The Australian Government's Intellectual Property Laws Amendment Act 2015, which passed the Senate this week, introduces changes which are said to simplify aspects of Australia's intellectual property (IP) system. [ + ]

Melbourne-based biotech company Drawbridge Pharmaceuticals has received a Notice of Allowance for US Patent Application Number 14/069,751 titled 'Anaesthetic Formulation' in the United States. [ + ]

Cochlear (ASX:COH) has reported a 240% surge in profit and 18% increase in revenue for the first half of FY15.

Two AusBiotech submissions have asked the federal government to broaden the eligibility criteria for employee share schemes (ESSs) to allow extra benefits planned for start-up companies to extend to listed companies eligible for the refundable Research and Development (R&D) Tax Incentive.

Vaxxas has completed a series B financing round to help accelerate the development of its Nanopatch platform for vaccine delivery applications.

A donation of $5 million to the Centre for Neural Engineering has helped the University of Melbourne's Believe campaign reach the significant milestone of $400 million.

The A, F and S series motors, from maxon motor, are being discontinued in favour of the RE, A-max, DCX and DC-max ironless DC motors. [ + ]

Orthocell (ASX:OCC) has announced that the first two Hong Kong patients have been treated with its Ortho-ATI tendon repair therapy product.

Oyster mushrooms eat spiders and roundworms using a protein that punches holes into cells.

Nanosonics (ASX:NAN) plans to build up a team to conduct direct sales operations in the US and Canada for its ultrasound probe disinfection product trophon EPR.

An opinion piece in the journal Nature, representing over 100 antibody experts around the world, has called for a standardised approach to the creation and use of antibodies in research and therapeutics. [ + ]

AusBiotech will be leading missions to the world's largest and most relevant biotech and medtech events over the coming months - in Shanghai, Hong Kong, Korea and USA - to support Australian companies in their outreach and global development.

Sienna Cancer Diagnostics has selected former Immune System Therapeutics CEO Dr Cliff Holloway to serve as interim chief executive while a permanent replacement is found.

A new class of antibiotics with a novel mode of action shows promise for dealing with antibiotic-resistant bacteria.