Japanese giant Suntory to partner Aust plant biotech
23 February, 2005 by Melissa TrudingerUnlisted Australian horticulture group Oasis Horticulture has teamed up with Japanese beverage company Suntory in an R&D joint venture to develop new plant varieties for the international market.
CSL reports $160m profit at half-year
23 February, 2005 by Melissa TrudingerCSL (ASX:CSL) has reported a strong net profit of $160.1 million for the first six months of the 2004-2005 fiscal year, up more than 500 per cent on the figures reported last year.
Board shake-up mooted at Polartechnics
22 February, 2005 by Melissa TrudingerDramatic board changes have been proposed at Sydney device company Polartechnics (ASX:PLT).
Norwood Immunology lays its plans
22 February, 2005 by Melissa TrudingerNorwood Immunology (AIM:NIM) CEO Richard Williams is planning a busy year. Along with an Australian trial of GnRH analogue in bone marrow transplant patients, the company is gearing up for preclinical trials Lupron's ability to induce tolerance to donor cells prior to transplantation.
Agenix sells Milton subsidiary
21 February, 2005 by Renate KrelleBrisbane's Agenix [ASX:AGX, NASDAQ OTC:AGXLY] has sold its loss-making Milton Pharmaceuticals subsidiary to an unnamed buyer.
Half-year results: Metabolic, Bionomics, Cytopia, Ventracor, Antisense
21 February, 2005 by Renate KrelleMetabolic Pharmaceuticals (ASX:MBP) has reported a half-year after-tax loss of AUD$6.3, up from $4.2 million in the corresponding period in 2003. That included $6.1 million of expenditure on research and development, up from $5.0 million in 2003. The company's statement of cash flows reveals it took a $500,000 stake in Neuren Pharmaceuticals' (ASX:NEU) IPO earlier this month. Metabolic has also contracted Neuren to conduct in vitro experiments to provide supporting data on the biochemistry of its growth hormone obesity drug AOD9604.
Biocomm sets up in Japan
21 February, 2005 by Melissa TrudingerMelbourne-based business development and seed finance group Biocomm Services has broadened its reach internationally with the announcement that Tokyo biotech company Locomogene would be the company's first Japanese client.
GTG and Applera remain in mediation limbo
18 February, 2005 by Graeme O'NeillMelbourne gene-testing company Genetic Technologies (ASX:GTG, US OTC:GNTLY) has still not resolved its patent-infringement dispute with US-based Applera Corporation, despite a second round of mediation.
Board changes at Benitec, Ventracor, BioDiem
17 February, 2005 by Renate KrelleThe management changes at RNAi player Benitec (ASX:BLT) continued yesterday, with the announcement that company secretary Gary Taylor had resigned as a director of the company. Taylor will remain company secretary.
Peptech claims dog contraceptive improved
17 February, 2005 by Melissa TrudingerPeptech Animal Health, a subsidiary of Peptech (ASX:PTD), has successfully completed trials of a new formulation of its dog contraceptive Suprelorin which suppresses fertility in male dogs for at least 12 months.
New technique results in cloned calf
17 February, 2005 by Melissa TrudingerResearchers at the Monash Institute of Medical Research and Genetics Australia Co-operative have cloned a cow using the technique of serial nuclear transfer.
Agenix antibody in US diagnostic test
17 February, 2005 by Melissa TrudingerAGEN Biomedical, a subsidiary of Brisbane-based biotech Agenix (ASX: AGX), is set to receive royalties from a newly launched test developed by US diagnostics company Biosite that uses AGEN's D-Dimer antibody.
Adjuvants: the players
17 February, 2005 by Graeme O'NeillSeveral Australian companies are trialling new 'natural' and synthetic adjuvants that combine potent immuno-stimulatory activity with low toxicity. Australia's biggest biotech, Melbourne's CSL (ASX:CSL), is boosting its experimental vaccines with its Iscomatrix adjuvant system, a phospholipid-cholesterol formulation containing a purified saponin extract from the bark of the South American tree Quillaja saponaria.
Adjuvant technology: a powerful brew
17 February, 2005 by Graeme O'NeillShakespeare's witches, in 'Macbeth', were concocting mischief, not some nostrum to ward off plague, but some of the things that imbue today's vaccines with immunogenic fizz would not have been misplaced among the eldritch ingredients in their cauldron.
Avexa cashing up for clinical trials
16 February, 2005 by Melissa TrudingerAmrad spin off Avexa (ASX: AVX) has raised $2.4 million in a private placement to institutions and sophisticated retail investors, and is aiming to raise up to $7.6 million more through a prospectus placement to new and existing retail and existing institutional shareholders.
