Epitan CEO retires
21 January, 2005 by Melissa TrudingerEpitan (ASX: EPT) has promoted its CFO Iain Kirkwood to CEO, replacing retiring CEO Wayne Millen.
Cryptome puzzles it out
21 January, 2005 by Melissa TrudingerCryptome Pharmaceuticals (ASX: CRP) is a step closer to proving the validity of its cryptomics approach to speeding up drug discovery, after animal studies of its lead antithrombotic drug CR001 produced positive results.
India's Dr Reddy's to manufacture Biosignal's furanones
20 January, 2005 by Renate KrelleSydney-based Biosignal (ASX:BOS) has engaged Custom Pharmaceutical Serivces, a business unit of Indian generics-manufacturing specialist Dr Reddy's Laboratories, to develop a large-scale manufacturing procedure for Biosignal's antibacterial furanone compounds.
Australian farmers embrace GM cotton
20 January, 2005 by Graeme O'NeillThe first full-scale production season for Australia's new Bollgard 2 transgenic cotton cultivars is shaping as an outstanding success, despite continuing drought in areas of NSW and southern Queensland.
Psivida closer to Nasdaq listing
20 January, 2005 by Renate KrelleNanotechnology company Psivida (ASX:PSD) is to join a small band of Australian biotechs on the US Nasdaq market, announcing today it had filed a registration statement with the US Securities and Exchange Commission in relation to its planned listing of American Depositary Shares (ADSs).
Trials contractor to take equity in Peplin
19 January, 2005 by Graeme O'NeillFrench-based clinical trial contractor Cvitkovic and Associates Consultants (CAC) will take equity in Brisbane cancer-drug developer Peplin Biotech (ASX:PEP) and establish a 'dedicated operation' in Australia.
GroPep to profit from JRH sale
19 January, 2005 by Melissa TrudingerAdelaide biotech company GroPep (ASX: GRO) will profit substantially from the sale of JRH Biosciences to Sigma-Aldrich -- the company has negotiated for the transfer of its marketing, sales and distribution agreement with CSL to JRH, through the life of the agreement, which expires in 2010.
CSL sells JRH division for US$370m
19 January, 2005 by Melissa TrudingerCSL (ASX: CSL) has sold its JRH Biosciences cell culture reagents division to US company Sigma-Aldrich for US$370 million (about AUD$492 million) in cash.
Avexa in-licenses Shire HIV drug
18 January, 2005 by Graeme O'NeillMelbourne drug developer Avexa (ASX:AVX) has taken the bold step of in-licensing a promising late-stage developmental drug for HIV/AIDS from international specialty pharmaceutical company Shire Pharmaceuticals Group, seeking to create a strong revenue stream to fund its growth.
ASX claims guidelines already having impact
18 January, 2005 by Renate KrelleDraft guidelines are already having an impact on the way biotechnology companies communicate, according to the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX).
Novogen settles isoflavone suit, banks royalties
18 January, 2005 by Melissa TrudingerBiopharma company Novogen (ASX: NRT) has settled a patent infringement suit with giant US health food supplements retailer GNC. The lawsuit, which was settled out of court for an undisclosed sum, alleged that certain menopause products sold under the GNC brand infringed Novogen's red clover isoflavone patents.
In brief: Imugene; Cryptome
17 January, 2005 by Staff WritersImugene (ASX: IMU) has been granted patent protection for its Receptor Mimic Technology (RMT) in the United States.
APAF, Qiagen team on $1m proteomics project
17 January, 2005 by Graeme O'NeillThe Australian Proteome Analysis Facility, headquartered at Sydney's Macquarie University, is to team up with global life science supplier Qiagen in a AUD$1m research project to develop more efficient ways of removing high-abundance proteins from serum samples.
Metabolic's Belyea happy to focus on science
14 January, 2005 by Melissa TrudingerMetabolic Pharmaceuticals' CEO Chris Belyea is looking forward to stepping down from the hot seat and focusing on the science and technology aspects of biotechnology.
Visiomed blows hot
13 January, 2005 by Graeme O'NeillShares in Visionmed (ASX:VSG) rose 1.3 cents to 4.4 cents today, before relaxing to 4.3 cents, on news that the Perth medical-device company is gearing up to market and distribute its Funhaler asthma spacer device for children in the US.
