Natural health products company VRI Biomedical has reason to be upbeat about its future despite posting the largest annual loss in its short history. [ + ]

The hope of millions of patients was riding on politics far more than science, paralysed actor and stem cell research advocate Christopher Reeve told delegates in a taped keynote speech at the Stem Cells 2002 conference this week. [ + ]

The Federal government's 'Backing Australia's Ability' package seems to have backed right over small biotechnology companies, crushing their hopes for substantial cash rebates on their R&D expenditure. [ + ]

Perth-based cancer therapeutics company Australian Cancer Technology announced today that researchers at St Vincent's Hospital, Sydney have begun analysing results from the first group of patients in its Phase Ib/IIa clinical trial of its Pentrix vaccine for common cancers. [ + ]

A star-studded cast of researchers strongly seasoned with Australians has launched an ambitious bid to develop the next-generation bioinformatics needed to unravel the complexities of the phenome. [ + ]

Researchers in the UK are developing a kind of biosensor which can determine in minutes if an overdose patient's blood contains a particular compound, for example paracetamol. Currently, this type of examination needs to be carried out in a laboratory and which is expensive and time-consuming.

Drug developer Progen Industries is licensing development rights to a new patented cancer therapy from the University of New South Wales. [ + ]

A biotech company in the forefront of mining Australia's natural biodiversity for blockbuster commercial applications is approaching its moment of truth. [ + ]

Porous silicon drug delivery company pSivida has received a multimillion dollar vote of confidence in its prospects from New York's GEM private equity group. [ + ]

The Federal House of Representatives agreed in principle on Monday night to pass the Research Involving Embryos Bill, voting 103 in favour to 36 against. But debate continued on the controversial bill as the first of a series of amendments was proposed. [ + ]

ASX-listed biotechs released a flurry of final results last week, with most companies meeting expectations for expenditure, revenues and losses. [ + ]

Queensland company Benitec has developed a new method of knocking out genes in animals, combining its proprietary RNA interference (RNAi) technology with standard transgenic techniques. [ + ]

CSIRO nanotechnology expert Dr Vijoleta Braach-Maksvytis has been appointed to a new, part-time role as head of the Office of the Chief Scientist, to assist Chief Scientist Dr Robin Batterham. [ + ]

An independent study of a polymeric antimicrobial drug made by WA-based company Chemeq has demonstrated that it significantly increases weight gain in chickens compared with two leading antibiotics used as growth promoters. [ + ]

Australia's premier science research agencies have been freed of the mandatory need to earn up to 30 percent of their government-supplied income from external sources. [ + ]