In brief: Pharmaxis, ES Cell, Optiscan, Benitec

The US Food and Drug Administration has granted 'orphan drug' status to Pharmaxis (ASX:PXS) for its Bronchitol product, for treatment of bronchiectasis. Orphan status entitles Pharmaxis to seven years of market exclusivity for Bronchitol, which is currently in clinical trials.

Dr Alan Colman has taken over as CEO of Australian-born, Singapore-based ES Cell International, following the resignation of Robert Klupacs. Colman played a key role in the cloning of Dolly the sheep before moving taking a position in Singapore as ES Cell's chief scientist.

Optiscan (ASX:OIL) has won an appeal in the European Patent Office that it says will boost royalties on its core fibre confocal technologies to more than AUD$2 million a year by expanding licensing and royalty opportunities into the key markets of Germany, France, Italy and the UK.

Benitec (ASX:BLT) has disclosed that its new CEO, Sara Cunningham, will be paid a gross salary of just over AUD$242,000, plus a 30 per cent performance bonus at the end of the year. She also has 975,730 escrowed ordinary shares in the company, which she received when Benitec took over Avocel, for which she used to work.