Healthcare giant Mayne has filed a Victorian Supreme Court claim against troubled manufacturer Pan Pharmaceuticals, following an estimated $AUD25 million-plus loss of revenue and recall costs. [ + ]

Discovery biotech Progen has snapped up one of the casualties of last month's Alchemia implosion, in the form of business development manager Dr Darren Schliebs, previously employed at Alchemia's San Francisco office. [ + ]

Anti-cancer biotech Solbec Pharmaceuticals has committed to abandoning its mining roots with a penultimate sell-off of several mineral leases, and a pledge to sell the remainder soon. [ + ]

Australia needs to be vigilant about ensuring its current high level of scientific expertise in animal disease prevention and control is maintained in the future, according to speakers at CSIRO's Horizons in Livestock Sciences conference.

An Australian-US study has shown it may be possible to develop a 'firewall' vaccine against the world's most dangerous human pathogen, the influenza virus. [ + ]

US-based pharma Cephalon has pushed its share interest in drug delivery company Sirtex over the 85 per cent level, and so looks set to complete its intended takeover. [ + ]

A claim from Virax Holdings that it had been approached by Melbourne company Institute of Drug Technology with a view to a full takeover, has taken IDT managing director Graeme Blackman by surprise. [ + ]

US giant Dow Corning's investment in Australian nanotechnology has deepend with a series of high-profile Dow-related appointments to the board and management of Starpharma's US subsidiary Dendritic Nanotechnologies. [ + ]

Biota has signed a letter of intent with Japanese pharma Sankyo to collaborate on the development of small molecule long-acting neuraminidase inhibitor (LANI) drugs. [ + ]

The identification and duplication of a gene that controls production of plants' outermost protective coating may allow Purdue University (US) researchers to create crops with increased drought resistance.

Molecular techniques are beginning to transform the forestry industry. Victoria's Department of Primary Industries' Forest Science Centre at Creswick has developed a way of growing wood in tissue culture, that enables researchers to rapidly determine effects of manipulating genes that influence wood growth and quality in long-lived forest trees. [ + ]

Melbourne firm Amrad has sold its 4.7 hectare Richmond property to RMAC, a joint venture between Macquarie Bank and R Corporation, in a deal that allows Amrad to lease back its laboratory space, and provides a cash consideration of $AUD47.5 million. [ + ]

Peptech-licensed monoclonal antibody Humira, produced by pharma Abbott, has been granted a positive opinion for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis in Europe. [ + ]

Western Australian biotech Chemeq is claiming an early victory against against so-called 'superbugs', or antibiotic-resistant pathogenic bacteria. [ + ]

The newest superstar among Australian life science research centres, the Queensland Bioscience Precinct, is getting down to business after an official opening that was part love-in, part confrontation. [ + ]