The Bio21 Molecular Medicine Informatics Model (Bio21:MMIM) is one of nine projects to share $19.4 million in recent funding from the Australian government under the Systemic Infrastructure Initiative (SII). [ + ]

Researchers at Melbourne's Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre have begun testing a high-precision, antibody-mediated system to deliver short-range radionuclides to cancerous cells. [ + ]

Cancer therapy developer Meditech (ASX:MTR) has received an AusIndustry Commercial Ready Grant worth $2.988 million over the next three years towards the development and commercialisation of HyCAMP, its lead anti-cancer product which is in phase II clinical testing. Meditech has also reported a half year loss of $1.68 million and a cash balance of $3.4 million. [ + ]

Norwood Abbey (ASX:NAL) has raised AUD$13.3 million (US$10 million) through US institutional investors to make the final payment on its products used in vision correction surgery and to expand production. [ + ]

Stalled negotiations relating to Avantogen's (ASX:ACU) US$3 million instalment in its $5 million bid to acquire US vaccine developer Regalen, formerly Galenica Pharmaceuticals, may have caused its share price to slide from $0.19 on August 24 to $0.14 on August 31, the company said today in response to an ASX query. [ + ]

Melbourne-based tissue engineering group Kryocor, which planned to close its IPO on March 31 and list on the ASX on April 14, has postponed its float and is considering its options. [ + ]

An 'action agenda' for the Australian science industry -- encompassing 47,000 manufacturers, distributors, laboratory services providers and researchers -- was launched in Sydney yesterday by the minister for industry, tourism and resources, Ian Macfarlane. [ + ]

US artificial heart firm HeartWare (ASX:HTW) has successfully commenced its animal studies by implanting its Miniaturised Ventricular Assist Device (MVAD) in a calf. [ + ]

Queensland University spin-out Nanomics BioSystems has released its first product based on its proprietary second-generation ceramic nanoparticle technology. [ + ]

Brisbane oncology-drug developer Peplin (ASX:PEP) has begun a phase IIa dose-escalation trial of its PEP005 lead product for pre-cancerous skin lesions, or actinic keratoses (AKs) caused by ultraviolet radiation in sunlight. [ + ]

Pharmaxis' (ASX:PXS) drug Bronchitol has produced positive results from a phase II trial in cystic fibrosis patients, described by CEO Alan Robertson as "a landmark study and transforming day for Pharmaxis and the cystic fibrosis community". [ + ]

Phylogica (ASX:PYC) has signed a partnership with leading US cancer research institute, the Fox Chase Centre, that gives the Perth peptide therapeutics developer an exclusive global licence to exploit Fox Chase's proprietary technology to screen molecules for anti-cancer activity. [ + ]

Melbourne's Antisense Therapeutics (ASX:ANP) is planning to restart the phase IIa trial of its lead drug candidate for multiple sclerosis ATL1102 before the end of the year, following recommendations from its advisory board. [ + ]

Pharmaceutical company Novogen (ASX:NRT) saw revenues of AUD$17.7 million for 2004-05, a 7.5 per cent increase on the previous year, and a net loss of $11.1 million. [ + ]

Two new research facilities have opened their doors, one a joint venture between the University of Western Australia (UWA) and the Western Australian Institute for Medical Research (WAIMR), and the other based at the University of Queensland's Institute for Molecular Bioscience (IMB). [ + ]