Benitec Biopharma (ASX:BLT) has launched a private placement to raise up to $31.5 million to further its ddRNAi development programs. [ + ]

Admedus, Nanosonics, Universal Biosensors and CSL were among the companies recognised last week as Australia's best performers in the Australian healthcare industry at the 2014 Frost & Sullivan Australia Healthcare Awards. [ + ]

Minister for Industry Ian Macfarlane has announced almost $186 million in funding as part of the 16th CRC (Cooperative Research Centre) Program selection round. The government funding will create three new CRCs and extend four existing CRCs. [ + ]

Thermo Fisher Scientific has presented its 2014 Cellome Award to the authors of the article 'A regenerative approach to the treatment of multiple sclerosis', featured in the October 2013 issue of Nature. [ + ]

Health Minister Peter Dutton today launched the 'Inspiring smarter brain research in Australia' report at Parliament House, Canberra. The report contains recommendations from a High Flyers Think Tank hosted by the Australian Academy of Science in Melbourne last year. [ + ]

Prima Biomed (ASX:PRR) has finalised a licensing agreement with Israel's Neopharm covering CVac, Prima's treatment candidate under development for ovarian cancer. [ + ]

The government has allocated $186m for the 16th round of the CRC program, and the Cancer Therapeutics CRC is the top beneficiary. [ + ]

Alchemia (ASX:ACL) has selected COO Thomas Liquard to replace Charles Walker as CEO and announced a slimmer 1H14 net loss of $5.5m. [ + ]

Two new $50,000 prizes for stem cell researchers. [ + ]

The Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT) project has passed two major expert reviews over its design and construction. This clears the way for the project to proceed towards construction approval. [ + ]

A researcher at the University of Copenhagen has written his PhD thesis on the positive properties of garlic, with particular emphasis on its effect against bacteria. [ + ]

Prana Biotechnology has announced the results of its phase 2 clinical trial investigating the drug PBT2 as a treatment for Huntington disease. [ + ]

Prima BioMed (ASX:PRR) has appointed leading ovarian cancer researcher Dr Bradley Monk to its scientific advisory board, and revealed it narrowed its 1H14 loss by 26%. [ + ]

Mesoblast (ASX:MSB) has secured a European patent giving it exclusive rights to use its MPCs and MSCs to treat cardiac and vascular conditions such as heart failure and stroke. [ + ]

Simavita (ASX:SVA) has commenced trading on the ASX, as the company gears up for the US launch of its Smart Incontinence Management product. [ + ]