Beleaguered Victorian biotech Sigma Pharmaceuticals has appointed former group treasurer Jeff Sells as its new CFO. [ + ]

Botox was approved in the UK this month for the treatment of migraines, however, the high costs of the cosmetic treatment as well as lingering safety concerns may restrict its ability to penetrate this new market. [ + ]

Biota Holdings today commenced a 400-member trial in the US of its anti-viral drug BTA798 on sufferers of asthma who present with cold symptoms. [ + ]

The Garvan Institute has named two of its top upcoming scientists as Young 2010 Garvan Fellows with each to receive a grant of $25,000 to advance their research looking into treatments for cancer and diabetes. [ + ]

The $1000 genome is no longer just a lofty aspiration. The next generation of massively parallel, benchtop sequencers could see it realised within two years. [ + ]

QRxPharma reported this week that it is making important progress towards gaining European regulatory approval for its dual-opioid pain treatment MoxDuo IR. [ + ]

Neither side in the upcoming federal election has made any significant announcements concerning the life sciences and biotechnology, which is further undermining confidence in the biotech industry, says Mark Horsburgh, President-elect of Licensing Executives Society Australia & New Zealand (LESANZ). [ + ]

Researchers from the University of Sydney's Alzheimer's and Parkinson's Disease Laboratory have achieved a breakthrough by finding the causes of Alzheimer's disease at a cellular level and thereby identifying a potential therapy as a result.

The Australian stock market finished the week up today for the third week in a row, buoyed by a strong lead from Wall Street overnight which fuelled investor’s appetites for local banking and mining stocks. [ + ]

Initial data from the world’s largest ever study correlating the genes of cancer sufferers with their responses to medications have been released indicating the potential for promising future treatments. [ + ]

Scientists from Sydney’s Garvan Institute have demonstrated that the drug candidate Lisofylline may be useful in the treatment of Type 2 diabetes. [ + ]

Professor Ken Baldwin has been awarded this year's Barry Inglis Medal in recognition of his contribution to the science of measurement.

Protein from poplar trees can be used to greatly reduce size of memory elements and increase the density of computer memory.

Regenerative medicine specialists Mesoblast announced today that the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has granted the company a license to manufacture and supply its Mesenchymal Precursor Cell (MPC) products in Australia [ + ]

RNA interference (RNAi) was little more than an enigmatic laboratory phenomenon just 15 years ago, but has since been fashioned into a Swiss Army knife, bristling with new blades and widgets for biological and medical research. [ + ]