PsiMedica, the UK-based subsidiary of Australian nanotechnology company Psivida (ASX:PSD), has signed a materials transfer agreement with US nanotech company NanoHorizons. [ + ]

Last week's thumbs-up by the US Food and Drug Administration for Genentech's anti-angiogenesis drug Avastin (bevacizumab) for the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer has widespread implications both for cancer therapy and biotechnology in general, according to industry observers. [ + ]

Adelaide company Bionomics (ASX:BNO) has progressed its international patent application covering novel angiogenesis targets into the examination stage in a number of key jurisdictions including the US, Europe and Japan. [ + ]

Virax's share price has soared after the company disclosed that French biotech company Transgene recently reported promising interim results from Phase II trials of a cancer therapeutic vaccine based on the Virax's Co-X-Gene technology. [ + ]

Artificial heart developer Ventracor (ASX:VCR) has reported that the fifth patient to be implanted with the company's VentrAssist device has died at the Alfred Hospital, about a month after receiving the implant. [ + ]

Brisbane-based Progen is riding high on the US Food and Drug Administration's approval of Genentech's anti-angiogenesis drug Avastin. [ + ]

Genetic Technologies' (ASX: GTG) increased loss, as reported in the company's half-year results last week, was in part due to changes in accounting required for the company's upcoming listing on the US Nasdaq market through the level 2 ADR program, executive chairman Dr Mervyn Jacobson said today. [ + ]

The vice-president at Deutsche Bank Global Corporate Finance in Australia has called on Australian biotech companies to seriously consider collaborations and M&A activity with other biotechs if they want to be viable. [ + ]

AGT Biosciences (ASX: AGT) has expanded its stable of programs in diabetes and obesity research, signing a collaborative research agreement with Sydney's Garvan Institute of Medical Research to identify molecules as potential therapeutics for type II diabetes. [ + ]

The Australian Capital Territory, home to CSIRO's Plant Industry division, looks set to join the southern mainland states and Tasmania in imposing a moratorium on the environmental release of genetically modified crops. [ + ]

Queensland University of Technology spin-off Tissue Therapies is seeking to raise AUD$3.5 million in an initial public offering of seven million shares at $0.50. [ + ]

Changes to the wording of the Australian Research Council's discovery grant eligibility criteria have left scientists at medical research institutes believing they are no longer eligible to apply for grants from the organisation. [ + ]

Amrad has received a second US$3 million milestone payment from Merck, Sharp and Dohme, bringing the total payments to the company under the terms of the agreement to $11 million to date out of a possible $112 million. [ + ]

South Australia's capabilities in biotechnology, agriculture and wine, earth and environmental sciences and chemistry and physics have received a major boost, with the appointment of four new Heads of School at the University of Adelaide's Faculty of Sciences.

The federal government has teamed up with industry group Science Industry Australia (SIA) to create a new action agenda. [ + ]