Industry News
Biotech Capital reduces stake in C3
BioTech Capital (ASX:BTC) has reduced its shareholding in Clinical Cell Culture (ASX:CCE, C3) from about 19 per cent to 12 per cent. [ + ]
BrainZ expands US operations
Auckland-based BrainZ (ASX:BZI) has established its US clinical support team and headquarters. [ + ]
Blood test for early identification of colon cancer
Researchers have developed a blood test that detects the presence of fragments of mutated genes that are present in colon cancer cells. Their pilot studies provide the basis for diagnostic assays for cancer that could allow physicians to detect rumours at an early stage.
[ + ]DotScan helps join the dots in identifying heart disease
University of Sydney researchers claim to have achieved almost perfect discrimination between two major forms of heart disease from patients' blood samples, using Sydney firm Medsaic's proprietary DotScan technology. [ + ]
Stirling study shows reduced weight gain in rats
A study conducted for Perth-based Stirling Products (ASX:STI) has shown that its beta agonist ST810 reduced weight gain in obese Zucker rats. [ + ]
In brief: Benitec, Biota, Eqitx
Benitec (ASX:BLT) has appointed former Axon Instruments VP Michael Catelani as executive director and Boron Molecular founder Peter Francis as non-executive director. [ + ]
Alchemia's synthetic heparin completes pilot scale process
The first batch of Brisbane biopharma Alchemia's (ASX:ACL) synthetic heparin has completed purification -- the final stage of the pilot scale process development -- at the US facilities of the company's manufacturing partner, The Dow Chemical Company. [ + ]
National bioinformatics network gathers speed
A national bioinformatics network has been established following a $2.2 million grant from the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia. [ + ]
Ventracor implants 50, reaches CE Mark trial enrolment target
Artificial heart company Ventracor (ASX: VCR) has implanted its 50th VentrAssist left ventricular assist device (LVAD) and has reached the enrolment target of 30 implants in its European CE Mark trial. [ + ]
Flu chip can identify strains in hours
A novel Flu Chip, developed at the University of Colorado at Boulder, that can determine the genetic signatures of specific influenza strains from patient samples within hours may help world health officials combat coming epidemics and pandemics.
[ + ]Garvan spin-off in $137m anti-inflammatory deal
G2 Therapies, a spin-off company from Sydney's Garvan Institute of Medical Research, has signed a licensing agreement worth up to AUD$137 million with Denmark's Novo Nordisk to develop, manufacture and commercialise new anti-inflammatory therapies based on G2's C5a receptor antibodies. [ + ]
Avexa, MNLpharma sign licence agreement
Avexa (ASX:AVX) has signed an exclusive licence agreement allowing the Melbourne-based company to develop and commercialise a number of HIV integrase inhibitors discovered from UK-based MNLpharma's Phytopure library. [ + ]
BRC branches into MS
The Brain Resource Company (ASX:BRC) is to supply its services to a Schering Israel funded Multiple Sclerosis study. [ + ]
Biotech stocks fall in January
Biotechnology stocks have continued to underperform in January -- with the Intersuisse biotechnology index sliding by 0.9 per cent. [ + ]
CSL to enter US flu market, double vaccine capacity
Biopharmaceutical company CSL (ASX:CSL) will invest AUD$80 million in plant and equipment to double capacity at its Melbourne facility to 40 million doses per season, making it one of the largest vaccine manufacturing plants in the world. [ + ]
