Sydney-based Polartechnics (ASX:PLT) has signed an exclusive agreement with Reliant Technologies to distribute the California-based company's Fraxel laser product range in Australia, New Zealand and Oceania. [ + ]

Artificial heart company Ventracor (ASX:VCR) has posted a net loss of $AUD26.6 million for 2004-05, up 68 per cent from $15.9 million in the previous financial year. [ + ]

BioTech Capital (ASX:BTC) investee Stem Cell Sciences has been awarded an exclusive license to a new patented technology to derive and grow neural stem cells. [ + ]

Melbourne's Antisense Therapeutics (ASX:ANP) has reported a full-year after-tax loss of AUD$6.2 million, up from $4.6 million from last year, in results described by CEO Mark Diamond as "good news tinged with less than positive news". [ + ]

Select Vaccines' (ASX:SLT) executive chairman Jeremy Cooper has retired as a director and will be replaced by Robin Beaumont as non-executive chairman. Dr Martin Soust has become the Select Vaccines' full-time managing director, relinquishing his role as part-time CEO at Premier Bionics (ASX:PBI) but remaining with the company as a non-executive director. Peter Marks has been appointed as a non-executive director for Select Vaccines. [ + ]

Sydney-based gastrointestinal drug development company Giaconda, has opened its initial public offering and plans to list on the ASX in late September, with the aim of raising AUD$6 million. [ + ]

Pharmaceutical manufacturing and drug development company Institute of Drug Technology Australia (ASX:IDT) has reported an operating profit after tax of AUD$4.5 million for the year ended June 30, representing an increase of 5 per cent over the previous year. [ + ]

Melbourne-based Amrad (ASX:AML) and research partner Merck & Co have selected a lead therapeutic antibody for full preclinical development as a potential treatment for asthma and other types of respiratory disease. [ + ]

Resonance Health Analysis Services (RHAS), a subsidiary of Perth-based Resonance Health (ASX:RHT) and formerly known as Inner Vision Biometrics, has agreed to provide its FerriScan diagnostic test to the New England Research Institutes (NERI) for use in its clinical studies. [ + ]

Unlisted Adelaide-based firm TGR Biosciences has attracted up to AUD$3 million funding from venture capital firm Nanyang Ventures to further clinical development of its treatment for oral mucositis, a debilitating side-effect of cancer treatments. [ + ]

Researchers at the Walter and Eliza Hall Medical Research Australian and the University of California have developed one of the hottest prospective drug therapies for the paralysing neurodegenerative disorder multiple sclerosis (MS). [ + ]

Medical research in Queensland has won a jackpot, with unclaimed first division lotto prizes to be transformed into grants for research and equipment. [ + ]

Stirling Products' (ASX:STI) second study into the effects of its lead beta agonist growth promotion product ST810 in broiler chickens has shown positive preliminary results, according to the company. [ + ]

Peter Gage, an internationally recognised pioneer of the use of ion channels as a treatment for viral diseases, died on August 13 after a long illness. [ + ]

Adult stem cell company Mesoblast (ASX:MSB) has appointed Michael Spooner as full-time executive chairman until June 30 next year. [ + ]