US artificial heart firm Heartware will today lodge its prospectus with ASIC, for an ASX-listing schedule to take place in late January, despite rumours of a possible patent battle with Australian artificial heart firm Ventracor (ASX:VCR). [ + ]

South Australian biotech Bionomics (ASX:BNO) is to pay more than AUD$2 million in cash and kind for Neurofit, a small contract research company that specialises in testing candidate drugs for central nervous system (CNS) disorders in cellular and animals models. [ + ]

Ai Scientific has announced its partnership with Environmental Express (USA). Environmental Express produces a range of laboratory apparatus to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the laboratory.

Non-executive director Paul Grujic and chief financial officer Ian Purdy today resigned from West Australian biotech Chemeq (ASX: CMQ). [ + ]

Biotechnology industry observers have given the sector a mixed report card for 2004, pointing to highlights like a lively capital market and low points like failed mergers. [ + ]

Trapping and harnessing adult mesenchymal precursor cells (MPCs) - some of the rarest and most valuable cells in the body - is the game of junior biotech Mesoblast (ASX:MSB) - which listed on the ASX today at AUD$0.91, almost double its issue price of $0.50. [ + ]

Affectionately known as the father of angiogenesis, Prof Judah Folkman, from Harvard Medical School, visited Australia for the first time last month to attend the AHMRC congress at which he gave an inspiring plenary about angiogenesis and his latest foray into the emerging class of anti-cancer or anti-angiogenic drugs. [ + ]

Prima Biomed (ASX:PRR) has signed its second deal -- reportedly worth as much as US$20 million -- for anti-inflammatory therapeutics which act at the FcoRIIa receptor, this time with US biopharmaceutical company Zymogenetics. [ + ]

Stirling Products (ASX:STI) has reported that its ST810 beta agonist has produced a 16 per cent improvement in weight gain in a 28-day US trial in 196 pigs. [ + ]

AlbudAbs - the latest invention of Cambridge (UK) antibody-therapeutics developer Domantis, a 36-per cent owned ally of Sydney biotech Peptech (ASX:PTD)- were yesterday launched on the market, with the promise that they can extend the half-life of protein therapeutics. [ + ]

Bresagen (ASX:BGN) has ended its annus horribilus -- having spent much of the year in voluntary administration -- with the reinstatement of its securities to official quotation today. [ + ]

Norwood Immunology (AIM:NIM) is almost ready to take its GnRH analogue technology, designed to 'reboot' the immune system, into US clinical trials, having just completed a Phase II protocol with US partner TAP Pharmaceuticals. [ + ]

US lawmakers and health officials are moving to give more independence to an office that reviews drug safety, but some experts say ensuring medicines are studied after they hit the market is more important than the bureaucratic pecking order. [ + ]

Sydney-based biosensor developer Ambri (ASX:ABI) has made chief financial officer Jeff Carter redundant, citing a drive to redirect resources towards its biosensor platform. Ambri's current financial controller, Phillip Camilleri, will assume the role of company secretary, and take over responsibility of all financial matters. [ + ]

Following its ban on xenotransplantation earlier this year, The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) has made a surprise announcement of a five-year moratorium on clinical trials in Australia using animal cellular therapies or animal external therapies. [ + ]