Richard Opara has withdrawn his request for a extraordinary general meeting at Sydney device company Polartechnics (ASX:PLT), the company announced today. [ + ]

Five biotechnology projects were amongst $19 million worth of AusIndustry R&D Start grants announced today by federal industry minister Ian Macfarlane. [ + ]

Recently listed Dia-B Tech (ASX:DIA) has appointed general manager Ken Smith as CEO. [ + ]

Avexa (ASX:AVX) consultant James Sawyer outlined to investors this week the company's plans for its Phase IIb clinical trial of AVX754, the HIV drug it recently acquired from UK company Shire Pharmaceuticals. [ + ]

Sydney monoclonal antibody therapeutics developer PacMab - which this week raised AUD$700,000 in equity funding -- is in the late stages of clinical pre-testing of a humanised monoclonal antibodies that binds to an antigen expressed exclusively by multiple myeloma cells. [ + ]

Melbourne anti-viral drug developer Biota Holdings (ASX:BTA) has signed an agreement with American company Aerogen (NASDAQ:AEGN) to use Aerogen's Aeroneb nebuliser in clinical trials of new, long-acting anti-viral compounds for influenza developed by Biota and its Japanese partner Sankyo. [ + ]

Cytopia (ASX:CYT) today filed an Investigational New Drug Application with the US Food and Drug Administration, seeking approval to test its cancer drug candidate CYT997 in the clinic. [ + ]

Antisense Therapeutics (ASX:ANP) bowed to the inevitable today, announcing that it would halt the Phase IIa trial of its lead drug candidate for multiple sclerosis, ATL1102, following the withdrawal of Biogen Idec and Elan Pharmaceuticals' Tysabri from the market. However the Melbourne company has not yet terminated the project altogether. [ + ]

RNA-interference therapeutics company Nucleonics has announced that IP Australia has granted the Medical College of Georgia Research Institute (MCGRI) two patents covering an RNAi gene-silencing technique. Nucleonics is a licensee to both patents. [ + ]

The University of Surrey’s expertise in nanotechnology research is a key contributor to an exhibition entitled ‘Nanotechnology: small science‚ big deal’, showing at the Science Museum in London.

As a new self-designated "shaker" of the Australian biotechnology sector, Polish-born medico and property investor Richard Opara is almost rueful about the two board spills he is orchestrating at Australian Cancer Technologies (ASX:ACU) and Polartechnics (ASX:PLT). But he is adamant that there is "no substance" to the speculation that the companies will merge. [ + ]

Chemeq's (ASX:CMQ) company secretary Adam Deane has advised the company that he intends to step down. He is the third person from the company's executive team to leave since mid-December. [ + ]

Eighteen years ago CSIRO biochemist Dr Robin Holliday first advanced the radical idea that that perfectly normal genes inactivated by hypermethylation played a role in the onset of cancer. Today, specific, sensitive tests for methylation are being developed which could play a role in early detection of cancer. [ + ]

VRI Biomedical (ASX:VRI) has reported success in the first stage of a drug discovery program to identify the molecule responsible for the anti-inflammatory effects of its probiotic bacterial strain PCC. [ + ]

Biotechnology stocks fell 7 per cent in February, dropping below their August 2003 levels, according to stockbroker Intersuisse. [ + ]