Living Cell Technologies (ASX:LCT) has filed a request for a pre-IND meeting with the US FDA to seek guidance and feedback on the development program for its NeurotrophinCell (NtCell) product for the treatment of Huntington's disease. [ + ]

Bob Atwill will join MediVac (ASX:MDV) as a consultant to assist in the commercialisation of the company's MetaMizer series II. Atwill was formerly sales and marketing director of London Stock Exchange listed orthopaedic company Corin Group. [ + ]

Melbourne-based Metabolic Pharmaceuticals (ASX:MBP) has started recruiting subjects in a low dose phase IIb clinical trial of its obesity drug AOD9604. [ + ]

A pain drug development company spun out of The University of Queensland has received a $3.25 million investment commitment to develop its innovative pain therapy.

Ventracor (ASX:VCR) and HeartWare (ASX:HTW) have commenced negotiations to settle an on-going patent dispute between the two artificial heart firms. [ + ]

Premier Bionics (ASX:PBI) is seeking to list on London's Alternative Investment Market (AIM). [ + ]

Melbourne-based Epitan (ASX:EPT, ADR:EPTNY, XETRA:UR9) has raised AUD$6.9 million before costs via a private placement to institutional and private investors and will once again seek to list on London's AIM stock market. [ + ]

Prof Vicki Sara has been appointed as director of the Australian Stem Cell Centre and will replace inaugural chairman Robert Moses when he relinquishes the role he has held for three years at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) on November 22. Sara is the chancellor of the University of Technology, Sydney, a fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Science and Engineering and a former head of the Australian Research Council. [ + ]

A new gene suspected to contribute to autoimmune diseases such as type 1 diabetes and lupus has been discovered by ANU immunologists.

Melbourne's Austin Research Institute (ARI) and vaccine developer Panvax have signed an agreement with the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research to develop an experimental malaria vaccine. [ + ]

Melbourne-based Acrux's (ASX:ACR) US partner Vivus (NASDAQ:VVUS) has completed enrolment for its phase III clinical study of Acrux's estradiol transdermal spray product Evamist for the treatment of menopausal symptoms. [ + ]

Phylogica (ASX:PYC) has signed a licensing deal with Massachusetts General Hospital and Johns Hopkins University to give the Perth-based company access to a new genetic screening technology. [ + ]

Patients suffering from oral cancer have increased levels of certain bacteria in their saliva, according to research published in the Open Access journal, Journal of Translational Medicine. Six common species of bacteria were found at significantly higher levels in the saliva of patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) than in the saliva of healthy individuals. The researchers were able to use three of the six species as a diagnostic tool to predict more than 80% of oral cancer cases. These preliminary findings indicate that three species of bacteria may be incidentally or causally linked with OSCC, and if so detection of these species could be used as a simple, rapid and non-invasive saliva test to diagnose oral cancer.

Investigative research into the novel origins of nerve fibre damage in Multiple Sclerosis by Australian, Jacqueline Orian has been rewarded with a US$372,300 grant from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society of America (NMSS).

Melbourne-based Mesoblast (ASX:MSB) has accelerated its clinical program for obtaining regulatory approvals for its adult stem cell platform technology following a successful pre-investigational new drug (IND) meeting with the US FDA. [ + ]