In brief: GTG; VRI; Bone; Vet Biotechnology, Biopharmica

Genetic Technologies (ASX:GTG, US OTC:GNTLY) has granted a license for its non-coding patents to the Australian Genome Research Facility Limited (AGRF). Part of the consideration will be paid to GTG in cash and part will be paid in the form of services which GTG will be able to access from AGRF's genetic analysis facilities. It is the sixth license GTG has granted in Australia for its non-coding DNA patents.

Probiotics company VRI Biomedical (ASX:VRI) has announced it will list on London's Alternative Investment Market and conduct a capital raising.

WA-based Bone Medical (ASX: BNE) has received clearance to commence human clinical trials of its oral parathyroid hormone, BN003. The study will be conducted at the clinical trial centre of Sydney's St Vincent's Hospital, and will involve healthy post-menopausal women with safety and tolerability as the primary outcomes. It is due to commence in February. Prof Philip Sambrook, director of the Institute of Bone and Joint Research, has been appointed as chief investigator.

NSX-listed Vet Biotechnology has signed a heads of agreement, and is in the process of negotiating a joint venture with VetCell Bioscience UK to commmercialise and distribute its equine stem cell services into the United States. The joint venture includes a US based distributor as a third party.

BioPharmica has appointed Dr Jean-Philippe Lalonde -- part of the original team at the University of Western Australia that discovered and patented tumour suppressor gene, HLS5 -- to its HLS5 cancer research team. Dr Lalonde was credited as the primary author on the HLS5 publication in The Journal of Biological Chemistry.