Government involvement in agricultural biotech industries is stifling innovation, a leading industry figure has warned. [ + ]

Adelaide company Ellex Medical Lasers (ASX:ELX) has signed a contract for the sale of its building in Adelaide for a price of $4.43 million. [ + ]

Melbourne biopharma Anadis (ASX:ANX) is investigating the use of its over-the-counter traveller's diarrhoea product, Travelan, for additional gastrointestinal therapeutic indications. [ + ]

Faster reaction rates, a substantially higher yield and a cleaner production process than is currently possible in the chemical industry, is claimed to be the result of a new sustainable chemical process that researchers from the Universiteit van Amsterdam and Radboud Universiteit Nijmegen have developed with support from NWO ACTS (Advanced Chemical Technologies for Sustainability).

The Victorian premier, Steve Bracks, has appointed renowned Melbourne endocrinologist Prof David de Kretser, AO, to succeed John Landy as the state's governor. [ + ]

Perth-based neurology-focused biotech company NeuroDiscovery (ASX:NDL) and the CSIRO have entered into a research collaboration agreement. [ + ]

Sydney-based Clover (ASX:CLV) has applied to the London Stock Exchange to cancel its listing on the Alternative Investment Market (AIM). [ + ]

In what it believes is an industry first, Roche Pharmaceuticals will offer its clinical development services to outside customers, particularly non-government organisations (NGOs), according to the drug giant's global head of clinical pharmacology development, Prof Graham McClelland. [ + ]

Immune therapy developer and Norwood Abbey (ASX:NAL) subsidiary Norwood Immunology (AIM:NIM) has entered into an option to acquire all the share capital of Netherlands-based Bestewil Holding, the 100 per cent owner of Virosome Biologicals Group, for up to 25 million euros (AUD$40.5 million). [ + ]

Australian owned, technical-based manufacturer for the global analytical science industry, SGE International was named Victorian Exporter of the Year 2005 at the 2005 Governor of Victoria Export Awards.

Newly listed Perth meditech BioPharmica (ASX:BPH) has taken the wraps off a new tumour-suppressor gene candidate that shows high promise as a therapeutic and diagnostic target for many cancers, as well as in AIDS and the brain disorder Huntington's disease. [ + ]

Sydney-based biopharma Novogen's (ASX:NRT, Nasdaq:NVGN) US subsidiary, Glycotex, has appointed Dr Reinhard Koenig as CEO and president. [ + ]

A phase Ib clinical trial of Melbourne-based Phosphagenics' (ASX:POH, AIM:PSG) TPM-01 transdermal delivery system has demonstrated that therapeutic levels of morphine in plasma were achieved and maintained for more than 48 hours using the technology. [ + ]

Sydney-based drug developer Pharmaxis (ASX:PXS, Nasdaq:PXSL) has signed a European distribution agreement for its first product, Aridol. [ + ]

Melbourne and California-based ChemGenex Pharmaceuticals (ASX:CXS, Nasdaq:CXSP)) has signed a new three-year alliance agreement with industry partner Merck KGaA, of Germany, to provide preclinical support in the fields of diabetes, insulin resistance and complications. [ + ]