Norwood Abbey (ASX: NAL) has entered into a lucrative deal with TAP Pharmaceuticals, giving the US-based company an exclusive license to commercialise its immunology intellectual property in the US market. [ + ]

Sydney-based pharmaceutical company Pharmaxis (ASX:PXS) listed on the ASX on Monday after successfully raising AUD$25 million in its IPO last month. [ + ]

Melbourne biotechnology company Prima Biomed (ASX:PRR) is chuffed with an intriguing result reported by its subsidiary Arthron from trials of its experimental rheumatoid arthritis drugs in mice. [ + ]

Former Sirtex Medical CEO Dr Colin Sutton has today taken over as chief of artificial heart company Ventracor (ASX:VCR), replacing Michael Spooner. [ + ]

Brisbane-based carbohydrates company Alchemia is the latest company to seek listing on the ASX, announcing a AUD$21 million IPO to take place before Christmas. [ + ]

The appointments of new Chiefs to head CSIRO's Divisions of Plant Industry and Energy Technology were announced recently by CSIRO Chief Executive, Dr Geoff Garrett.

Melbourne-based research instrument developer Vision BioSystems is gearing up to launch its Bond-X immunohistochemistry system in the US before the end of the year. [ + ]

Devices company USCOM is seeking to raise AUD$16 million in an IPO to raise funds to commercialise its heart monitor. [ + ]

A steaming, sulphurous spring in the caldera of the world's coldest, most isolated volcano has yielded a powerful new forensic tool that will make it even tougher for criminals to evade the law. [ + ]

A University of Melbourne spin-off and pioneering bionic ear company Cochlear have joined forces to develop a treatment for severe incontinence. [ + ]

Melbourne drug design company Biota Holdings is preparing to sign up a partner to develop its new lead compound to quell the so-called 'common' cold. [ + ]

Melbourne-based Metabolic Pharmaceuticals (ASX:MBP) has commenced what it says is the largest clinical trial ever undertaken by an Australian biotech, a Phase IIb trial of its obesity drug, AOD9604. [ + ]

Melbourne-based Iliad Chemicals has appointed former Cerylid Biosciences scientist Dr Gino Vairo as head of drug discovery and development as it ramps up its efforts to identify a lead candidate. [ + ]

First there was golden rice, a genetically modified variant of the world's number two cereal, designed to prevent blindness and ill health in an estimated 400 million malnourished people in Asia and Africa, whose monotonous diet of rice leaves them vulnerable to blindness and ill health. Now Western Australian company Grain Biotech Australia has engineered an experimental wheat, the world's number one cereal crop, that could help by keeping over-nourished Westerners in the pink of health. [ + ]

Dr Jeremy Burdon is to succeed Dr Jim Peacock as chief of CSIRO Plant Industry, the organisation's chief executive, Dr Geoff Garrett, announced today. [ + ]