The Commonwealth government has confirmed that it will add 1.8 million courses of Relenza to the National Medical Stockpile in preparation for a possible influenza pandemic. [ + ]

Adelaide-based biotech GroPep (ASX:GRO) has completed the manufacture of two vaccine antigens for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation-funded Malaria Vaccine Initiative (MVI). [ + ]

Sydney-based drug developer Pharmaxis (ASX:PXS, Nasdaq:PXSL) has begun the dosing phase of its phase II clinical trial in patients with cystic fibrosis. [ + ]

Cancer drug developer Novogen (ASX:NRT, NASDAQ:NVGN) has concluded its investigation into the reasons why there was an overwhelming majority of proxies against the company's remuneration report. [ + ]

Donald Home has resigned as CEO and managing director of Brisbane-based Agenix (ASX:AGX, NASDAQ:OTC:AGXLY) after four and a half years with the company. [ + ]

CogState (ASX:CGS) has signed an agreement with Pfizer worth up to AUD$1.28 million over three years to support the development of the Melbourne-based company's cognitive test portfolio. [ + ]

Sydney antimicrobial developer Biosignal (ASX:BOS) has been awarded a AUD$1.5 million Commonwealth government grant to develop new antibacterial coatings for medical implants and devices. [ + ]

Sir Gustav Nossal writes that Australian scientists are at the vanguard of developing what could be the most effective weapons in the battle against one of the deadliest of diseases. [ + ]

A discovery made at WEHI by the Cooperative Research Centre for Cellular Growth Factors (CRC-CGF) has led to the selection of an antibody-based drug for full preclinical development as a potential new treatment for asthma and other respiratory diseases.

Newly-listed firm Medical Therapies (ASX:MTY) is set to begin a large-scale mouse study examining the effectiveness of its topical cream therapies as preventatives and cures for a variety of skin cancers. [ + ]

Peplin (ASX:PEP) will raise AUD$10 million through a placement to fund phase IIb clinical trials of its lead product, PEP005 Topical, in actinic keratosis (AK), also known as solar keratosis, a skin condition which can develop into skin cancer. [ + ]

Melbourne-based Biota Holdings (ASX:BTA) has entered into a licensing and collaboration agreement with US company MedImmune (Nasdaq:MEDI) to develop and commercialise Biota's small molecule compounds for the prevention and treatment of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection. [ + ]

The CEO of Melbourne company Biota Holdings (ASX:BTA), Peter Cook, believes GlaxoSmithKline is using delaying tactics in the current court case before the Victorian courts, in which Biota is suing GSK for up to AUD$430 million. [ + ]

Brisbane biopharma Alchemia (ASX:ACL) has successfully raised AUD$5 million, closing its share purchase plan heavily oversubscribed. Earlier this month the company raised $14.6 million through a share placement. [ + ]

Auckland-based BrainZ (ASX:BZI), which develops monitors for the detection of brain injury, listed on the ASX today at AUD$0.54, four cents above its issue price of $0.50. [ + ]