Drug developer Pharmaxis (ASX:PXS) has received approval to list its American Depositary Receipts (ADRs) on the Nasdaq National Market under the symbol PXSLY. [ + ]

Sirtex Medical (ASX:SRX) has been asked by the ASX to explain why its share price soared from $1.90 on August 15 to $2.45 on August 22. [ + ]

Melbourne-based novelty flower developer Florigene is planning the first field trial of its genetically modified roses carrying the company's proprietary 'blue gene' technology. [ + ]

Big pharma is licensing new projects earlier, and that means prospective partners need to be creative, a Pfizer licensing director has told a Melbourne meeting. [ + ]

Adelaide-based GroPep (ASX:GRO) has recorded pre-tax profit of AUD$3.1 million for the year ending 30 June 2005, an increase of more than 200 per cent over the $1 million reported last year. [ + ]

The Queensland government is offering $950,000 to local entrepreneurs in its start-up scheme, double the amount offered in previous years. [ + ]

RNAi specialist Benitec (ASX:BLT) and Wisconsin-based Promega have settled their contract dispute which began last year. [ + ]

Astop Biohealth, an unlisted natural medicines company established in 2001 and chaired by Perth entrepreneur Kevin Parry, is planning to list on the ASX before the end of the year. [ + ]

Artificial heart company Ventracor (ASX:VCR) has implanted its second VentrAssist left ventricular assist system (LVAS) in the United States. [ + ]

The Health Research Council of New Zealand (HRC) is convening a two-day workshop in Auckland 10 to 11 November 2005: Measuring the impact of the investment in health research.

Brisbane biopharma Alchemia's (ASX:ACL) financial results for the year ending June 3 reveal that the firm has $15.9 million in the bank to support the development program of its lead anti-cancer drug candidate ACL 16907. [ + ]

It has been a big year for regional biotech-flavoured venture funds to be launched from New Zealand. The latest is Finistere Partners, a San-Diego based venture capital firm, which has launched a new fund targeted at agricultural biotechnology and medical devices. [ + ]

Exorex, a non-steroidal treatment for psoriasis exclusively marketed in Australia by Epitan's (ASX:EPT) wholly-owned subsidiary EpiPharm, has been recommended by the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee for Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) reimbursement. [ + ]

NeuroSolutions, a subsidiary of newly listed neurology-focused biotech company NeuroDiscovery (ASX:NDL) has entered into a collaborative agreement with Epichem, a subsidiary of PharmAust (ASX:PAA) to assist with the development of one of NeuroSolutions' lead pain drug candidates, NSL-036. [ + ]

Biotechnology companies should not take money from just anybody, a meeting in Sydney heard this morning. [ + ]