Biopharmaceutical company Novogen's (ASX:NRT) cardiovascular drug trans NV-04 has shown a significant reduction in blood pressure and reduced arterial stiffness in a Phase Ib clinical trial. [ + ]

Resonance Health Group (ASX:RHT) has signed a memorandum of understanding with a US radiology service provider for a pilot study in preparation for the commercial launch of its FerriScan diagnostic test. [ + ]

An Australian-developed electronic nose, developed by former CSIRO/University of New South Wales scientists, now part of E-Nose, can instantly sniff out weak but unpleasant odours and generate an electronic fingerprint of the strength and quality of the smell.

Biomaterials company Avastra (ASX:AVS) is to abandon a clinical trial of its BioWeld Tube at Concord Repatriation and General Hospital, Sydney. [ + ]

Antisense Therapeutics (ASX:ANP) has claimed successful results from animal studies targeting the growth hormone receptor with an antisense drug, designed to reduce the growth of new blood vessels that can lead to two eye diseases which are major causes of blindness. [ + ]

After a turbulent year, Sydney-based Polartechnics (ASX:PLT) has seen a threefold increase in sales revenue for the 2004-05 financial year and is aiming to be profitable in the current year. [ + ]

Sydney antibody therapeutics developer Peptech (ASX:PTD) has signed an agreement with an unnamed biopharmaceuticals manufacturer to make its potent anti-inflammatory domain antibody (dAb) for preclinical and human clinical trials. [ + ]

The legal mists swirling the issue of ownership of key patents to RNA-induced (RNAi) gene silencing are lifting, with the US Patent Office granting CSIRO a patent for its Hellsgate family of vectors for exploring and manipulating gene function in plants and animals. [ + ]

Australia's medical research community has welcomed news of major changes to the nation's sole research funding agency, the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC). [ + ]

Licence discussions between RNAi specialist Benitec (ASX:BLT) and an undisclosed party caused Bentiec's share price to rise from $0.135 on September 8 to $0.17 on September 9, the company has told the ASX. [ + ]

Western Australian collagen purification company CollTech (ASX:CAU) has raised $2.27 million after fees from its recent private placement and share purchase plan. [ + ]

They were set up to bring key Australian scientists back from overseas. But nearly two thirds of last year's crop of Australian Research Council (ARC) Federation Fellowships was awarded to scientists already living here. [ + ]

Shares in Melbourne-based biopharma Biota Holdings (ASX:BTA) rose today in the wake of media reports that Holland has placed an order for Relenza, the anti-flu drug developed by Biota and commercialised by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK). [ + ]

LabWare has won the Scientific Computing and Instrumentation Readers' Choice Award in the LIMS category for the past six years running. SC&I conducts an annual Readers' Choice Award survey asking readers to rate various laboratory applications and instrument categories.

Arthron, a subsidiary of Prima Biomed (ASX:PRR) has signed a license and option agreement with US biotechnology company Xencor to utilise Arthron's Fc receptor technology for enhancing the effect of anti-cancer antibodies. [ + ]