Sydney-based drug developer Pharmaxis (ASX:PXS) has opened a public offering on the sale of ordinary shares in US and a placement of shares in Australia to fund further clinical trials of its lead drugs Bronchitol and Aridol. [ + ]

Sydney-based Life Therapeutics (ASX:LFE) has acquired privately-held California-based Pyramid Biological for US$13 million, plus assumption of US$7 million debt, increasing its stake in the global plasma supply industry. [ + ]

Epitan (ASX:EPT) founder and former managing director and CEO Dr Wayne Millen is set to retire as chairman of the board at the end of October but intends to continue to play a role in the company and the biotech sector. [ + ]

Melbourne's Amrad Corporation (ASX:AML) has proposed that its name be changed to Zenyth Therapeutics. [ + ]

The University of Queensland is establishing the Queensland Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Network (QNN), placing UQ at the forefront of international research in structural biology, biodiscovery and animal neuroimaging.

Adult stem cell specialist Mesoblast (ASX:MSB) has received ethics approval to commence its first human orthopaedic trial. [ + ]

Perth-based Chemeq (ASX:CMQ) has signed a new sales order for the shipment of CHEMEQ polymeric antimicrobial worth AUD$1.4 million over the next nine months. [ + ]

Narhex Life Sciences (ASX:NLS) has formed a new scientific advisory board, following Prof John Mills' appointment last week as managing director, replacing founder John Majewski, and the relocation of the company's head office to Melbourne. [ + ]

Sydney medical device company CathRx has opened its initial public offering and aims to raise AUD$14 million before listing on the ASX in late October. [ + ]

The privately funded Australian Cancer Research Foundation (ACRF) has awarded a grant of AUD$900,000 to Melbourne's St Vincent's Institute (SVI) to establish a rational drug discovery facility for cancer research. [ + ]

Sydney-based Biosignal (ASX:BOS) has piqued the interest of some major international oil and gas companies. [ + ]

The Australian biotechnology industry is showing new signs of maturity, evidenced by a substantial increase in international alliance activity, according to a new analysis by industry consultant Innovation Dynamics. [ + ]

GBC Scientific has recently completed a major shipment of atomic absorption spectrometers to India. The single order was for 58 instruments and a large volume of accessories and consumable items. GBC is an Australian manufacturer, with these instruments (and others) designed, developed and manufactured at the company's international head office in Dandenong, Victoria.

Privately-held vaccine developer Vaxine and Flinders University have been awarded a grant of US$2.5 million over three years by the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) to develop vaccines that protect against bioterrorist attacks. [ + ]

Melbourne-based Biota Holdings (ASX:BTA) is aiming to raise more than AUD$10 million in a non-renounceable share offer to existing shareholders. [ + ]