Sydney-based Giaconda (ASX:GIA) has reported positive results from phase II trials of two of its compounds, Heliconda for Helicobacter pylori infection and Myoconda for Crohn's disease. [ + ]

International science journal Nature Biotechnology has taken the Western Australian agriculture minister Kim Chance to task for funding a supposedly independent study of the health effects of genetically modified food crops by an Adelaide research institute renowned for its anti-GM activism. [ + ]

Gene therapy company Benitec's (ASX:BLT) shares fell on news that the US FDA investigational new drug (IND) filing for its HIV/AIDS therapeutic will be delayed. [ + ]

Artificial heart company Ventracor (ASX:VCR) has implanted its fifth VentrAssist left ventricular assist system (LVAS) in the United States. [ + ]

Sydney biomedical company Sirtex Medical (ASX:SRX) has posted a positive net cash flow for the second quarter of 2005/06 of AUD$1.46 million, an increase of 87 per cent on the previous quarter. [ + ]

South Australia's rapidly expanding biotechnology industry now has access to AUD$35 million in venture capital, with Bio Innovation SA securing a deal with one of Australia's most successful superannuation funds, MTAA Super. [ + ]

Sydney-based Biosignal (ASX:BOS) and the Institute for Eye Research have established a collaboration with a US-based medical device company to test Biosignal's anti-biofilm compounds coated on catheters. [ + ]

Melbourne-based Eqitx (ASX:EQX) has invested a further AUD$500,000 in equity in VacTX, making its total investment in the vaccine developer $2.3 million to date. [ + ]

AtCor Medical (ASX:ACG), the developer and marketer of SphygmoCor, a system to measure central cardiovascular function non-invasively, today announced sales of $1.73 million for the six months to 31 December 2005, up 40 per cent compared to the previous corresponding period [ + ]

Zenyth Therapeutics (ASX:ZTL), formerly Amrad, has taken a licence from Massachusetts-based Dyax Corp, to use the US company's proprietary phage display libraries to develop antibody therapeutics for inflammation and cancer. [ + ]

The Western Australian Institute for Medical Research (WAIMR) has discovered a link between the HLS5 gene and key aspects of Huntington’s disease and AIDS development, according to an announcement made by BioPharmica.

Eppendorf South Pacific has relocated its facilities to larger offices in North Ryde to support the company's continuing growth. The new address for Eppendorf South Pacific is Unit 4, 112 Talavera Road, North Ryde 2113. Ph: (02) 9889 5000 and fax: (02) 9889 5111 remain unchanged.

Brisbane biotech Tissue Therapies (ASX:TIS) will repeat an animal trial designed to gather data to optimise its wound treatment VitroGro for human clinical trials following independent review of the results. [ + ]

The Russian Ministry of Health has recommended the approval of Melbourne-based Solagran's (ASX:SLA) Ropren, the finished form of Bioeffective R, as a treatment for chronic liver disease. [ + ]

Norwood Abbey (ASX:NAL) has initiated animal studies for the use of its needle-free injection device for delivering virosomes, potent carriers of antigens for vaccination. [ + ]