Select Vaccines (ASX:SLT) has licensed the manufacture, global marketing and distribution of its rapid hepatitis A diagnostic technology to US-based Rapid Medical Diagnostic (RMD), but has kept the distribution rights for the test in Australia and New Zealand. [ + ]

Melbourne-based biotech Avexa (ASX:AVX) has finished its first financial year of operation with AUD$15.7 million in the bank -- enough operating cash for two years, according to CEO Julian Chick . [ + ]

Recently listed Sydney biopharma Apollo Life Sciences (ASX:AOP) has claimed that its human-expressed vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), a protein involved in the formation of new blood vessels, performs five times better in an international proliferation test than a leading competitor's protein and the World Health Organisation's (WHO) protein standard. [ + ]

Research published in the journal Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry is the description of a method that can detect a pattern of contamination on banknotes from drug-related crime that is different from the pattern seen in general circulation. The process is claimed to be significantly faster than other previous methods.

What causes those headaches that keep on thumping after you've exceeded your recommended daily allowance of garden-variety analgesics? A team at QIMR is close to finding out. [ + ]

Prima Biomed (ASX:PRR) and the Austin Research Institute (ARI) have reached an in principle agreement enabling Prima to gain full ownership of its four subsidiary companies, Oncomab, Panvax, Cancer Vac and Arthron. [ + ]

Brisbane cancer drug developer Progen Industries (ASX:PGL, NASDAQ:PGLAF) will expand its phase II clinical trial program into prostate cancer to assess the efficacy and safety of its PI-88 angiogenesis inhibitor in combination with Sanofi-Aventis' chemotherapy agent Taxotere (docetaxel). [ + ]

A week after revealing spectacular preclinical results from its novel NeurotropinCell therapy for Huntington's disease, Auckland-based cell-therapy specialist Living Cell Technologies (ASX:LCT) has announced a therapeutic injection in its bottom line, after a successful capital raising pumped AUD$2.3 million into its coffers. [ + ]

Botanical therapeutics specialist Solagran (ASX:SLA) has defended its financial position, after receiving a 'please explain' from the Australian Stock Exchange. [ + ]

Melbourne-based Genetic Technologies (ASX:GTG) has signed an agreement with health and lifestyle industry supplier Sportsstyle for the marketing and distribution of its ACTN3 SportsGene Test throughout Japan. [ + ]

Bone Medical (ASX:BNE) has received approval for a level one American Depository Receipt (ADR) program with receipts tradable in the over-the-counter market under the code BMEDY. [ + ]

Brisbane-based materials science specialist Bio-Layer is planning a backdoor listing on the ASX through SSH Medical (ASX:SSH) in September, aiming to raise between $3.5 and $5 million in capital to commercialise its products. [ + ]

Brisbane biopharma Alchemia (ASX:ACL) has been named the overall winner of the Queensland Government's Smart Awards 2005 for its efforts towards commercialising a new treatment to fight cancer. [ + ]

Agenix (ASX:AGX, NASDAQ:OTC:AGXLY) has signed a multi-million dollar contract with US company Diosynth Biotechnology to begin the process of manufacturing its ThromboView blood clot imaging product for phase III clinical trials and commercial sale. [ + ]

Medico and property investor Richard Opara resigned as interim chairman of Polartechnics (ASX:PLT) on June 8. The next day, US biotech executive Len Firestone stepped down as a director. [ + ]