Melbourne drug developer Starpharma (ASX:SPL) has acquired outright ownership of its VivaGel technology following changes to licence arrangements that were executed when Starpharma was spun-out of the Biomolecular Research Institute (BRI) in 1996. [ + ]

Perth-based Solbec Pharmaceuticals' (ASX:SBP ) managing director, Stephen Carter, has resigned. [ + ]

Cash is finally flowing towards biotechnology and medical device stocks after a long and sustained drought, according to Intersuisse biotechnology index for the quarter ended September 2005. [ + ]

A partnership initiated in 2003 between Avantogen (ASX:ACU) (formerly Australian Cancer Technology) and Prof Ursula Kees at Perth's Telethon Institute for Child Health Research is closer to developing a diagnostic test to enable more effective treatment of cancer. [ + ]

Singapore-based generics company SciGen (ASX:SIE) has signed a Chinese distribution agreement worth at least US$145 million (AUD$191.6 million) with Hefei Life Science Park Investment & Development (HID) for its hepatitis B product, Sci-B-Vac. [ + ]

Melbourne-based Medical Developments International (ASX:MVP, MDI) has appointed Dr Simon Fisher as its new CEO, starting today. [ + ]

Diabetes- and oncology-gene hunter ChemGenex Pharmaceuticals (ASX:CXS) now has solid evidence that a particular variant of the SEPS-1 gene, already identified as a trigger for Type 2 diabetes, is a strong risk factor for a broad range of chronic inflammatory disorders. [ + ]

ISO/IEC 17025:2005 is now available. It specifies the general requirements for the competence to carry out tests and/or calibrations, including sampling. It covers testing and calibration performed using standard methods, non-standard methods, and laboratory-developed methods.

The Vice-Chancellor of La Trobe University, Professor Michael Osborne, has welcomed the announcement by the Victorian government that funding has been dedicated to commence establishment of the National Biosecurity Centre in Victoria.

After 21 years as Circadian's (ASX:CIR) founding chairman Sir Peter Derham retired at the conclusion of the company's AGM yesterday. Circadian managing director Leon Serry said that Sir Peter was stepping down because he's now 80 years of age. [ + ]

Stem Cell Sciences (AIM:STEM, SCS) has signed an exclusive agreement with Californian-based stem cells solutions provider Chemicon International, a wholly owned subsidiary of Serologicals Corporation (NASDAQ:SERO), for the manufacture and marketing of SCS' embryonic stem (ES) cell media to the research and drug discovery market. [ + ]

pSivida has secured US$15 million (AUD$20 million) in additional funding from a New York institutional investor to assist in the development of its platform technology BioSilicon. [ + ]

It would take only four years to completely replace today's farmed chickens with genetically modified breeds fully resistant to infection to avian influenza, according to a visiting British molecular virologist. [ + ]

Microbiologists from the University of Bradford in England believe they may be closer to developing a vaccine that can protect newborn babies from being infected by the common and potentially fatal bacteria Group B Streptococcus.

UK-based NeuroSolutions, the fully owned subsidiary of NeuroDiscovery (ASX:NDL), has signed its first Australian revenue contract with Perth-based biopharmaceutical company Alzhyme. NeuroSolutions' Alzheimer models will be used to investigate the potential of three Alzhyme peptides to impede the progression of the disease. [ + ]