The Advisory Council of Intellectual Property (ACIP) is calling for submissions from Australian companies which have collaborated with publicly-funded research organisations (PFROs) as part of a review as to whether intellectual property (IP) rights such as patents and trademarks are a help or a hindrance. [ + ]

Prions, which cause diseases such as Creutzfeldt-Jakob and bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), are mysterious things. Andrew Hill’s research into how they spread might lead to new diagnostics and treatments. [ + ]

The S&P/ASX 200 Heathcare Index closed in the black on Friday for the third week in a row, as the wider market slipped for the second week in a row. [ + ]

Beleaguered Australian HIV drug developer Avexa announced this week that it has booked time with the FDA to discuss opportunities for its ATC (apricitibane) program. [ + ]

The University of Technology Sydney has launched the ithree institute, focusing on the understanding and control of infectious diseases in humans and animals. [ + ]

A team of international researchers has published the results of a study showing a connection between erectile dysfunction and increased risk of heart disease. [ + ]

The phenomenon of ‘glycaemic memory’ has long puzzled diabetes clinicians and researchers. Now, researchers at the Baker Heart and International Diabetes Institute (Baker IDI) have made a crucial advance that explains how exposure to high blood-glucose levels drives epigenetic changes that underlie the syndrome. [ + ]

Like a spent fighter coming back from the brink after teetering on the ropes in the dying stages, the federal government’s R&D Tax Credit bill is still standing at the 12th round bell with only one more round to go. [ + ]

Australian scientists today paid tribute to the distinguished life and career of Professor Frank Fenner AC, MBE who passed away today aged 95. [ + ]

What triggers cancer? That is the question Melbourne scientist Dr Benjamin Kile is determined to answer.

Professor John Shine, Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science and Director of the Garvan Institute in Sydney, has won the 2010 Prime Minister's Prize for Science.

Shares in Sydney biotech Novogen jumped 16.7 percent today on news that its majority-owned US subsidiary Marshall Edwards had reported positive data from it anti-cancer therapeutic, NV-128. [ + ]

Researchers at the Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute in Melbourne have released the results of an international patient trial of a novel new treatment based on radio waves which they say has the potential to revolutionise treatment for blood pressure and other conditions. [ + ]

Professor John Shine, Executive Director of Sydney’s Garvan Institute of Medical Research, received the 2010 Prime Minister’s Prize for Science, the nation’s most highly respected award for scientific achievement. [ + ]

Adelaide biotech Bionomics has reported positive data from a study of its anti-anxiety and depression drug BNC210, indicating a number of potential advantages over its many blockbuster rivals. [ + ]