The Australian stock market managed its strongest close in a month today spurred by better-than-expected Australian employment data as well as improved confidence in the U.S economy following three days of consecutive gains on Wall Street. [ + ]

Researchers at the Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta have identified chemicals that help to grow neurons in the brains of mice, potentially leading to new treatments for mental illness and cognitive disabilities. [ + ]

HIV drug company Avexa has appointed industry veteran Joe Baini as its new chairman after shareholders voted on Tuesday to remove his predecessor Nathan Drona and virtually the company’s entire board. [ + ]

Melbourne biotech Clinuvel (ASX:CUV) has struck the first commercial manufacturing deal for its UV-protection drug Scenesse. [ + ]

Sales of generic HIV drugs will double to more than $US1.2 billion by 2019 making up 10 percent of the entire retroviral market, according to industry analysts Datamonitor. [ + ]

Peak industry body AusBiotech said today that it was confident of working with new prime minister Julia Gillard to develop a more effective legislative framework for the Australian biotechnology industry. [ + ]

AtCor Medical announced today that it has signed a US$1.77 million contract for the supply of its SphygmoCor blood pressure measurement system to a U.S customer. [ + ]

Shareholders in Avexa today voted resoundingly in favour of ousting existing chairman and director Nathan Drona along with the company’s entire board. [ + ]

Patrys announced today that it has received a U.S patent for its lead product PATPM1, a promising new human antibody shown to be effective in the treatment of solid tumors and metastases across a number of indicators including pancreatic, lung, breast, colon and gastric cancers. [ + ]

A study of the genomes of 1000 centenarians in New England has highlighted 150 variations of DNA sequence which the researchers claim indicate with 77 percent accuracy whether someone will reach a century. [ + ]

Australian shares staged a small comeback on Friday ending eight days of consecutive losses incured as investors eyed the looming spectre of a double-dip recession in the U.S, while data out of China showed that measures aimed at slowing its economy were working. [ + ]

Pharmaceutical companies continue to be heavily reliant on sales form their mature drugs, while investment in R&D and clinical trials for their successors has shown a marked decline. [ + ]

Melbourne-based Clinuvel has received a U.S patent acknowledging the role of so-called melanocortin drugs in providing UV protection for fair skinned people who have a genetic variation in the melanocortin-1 receptor (MC1R). [ + ]

Merck has stumped up $500,000 to fund a new research centre at the University of Sydney designed to help Australia benefit from U.S approaches to innovation. [ + ]

Price Waterhouse Coopers has released its quarterly Bioforum report showing that the Australian life sciences sector is outperforming the wider market despite a fairly slow start to the year. [ + ]