Six early-stage biotechnology companies will share $649,000 in NSW government grants to assist in taking their biomedical technologies through to commercialisation. [ + ]

Australian Technology Innovations Fund (ATIF), a Brisbane-based private investment company, is seeking to invest $50 million in biotechnology projects and companies. [ + ]

Metabolic Pharmaceuticals has gained ethics approval to begin testing its oral obesity drug in patients. [ + ]

Circadian Technologies will invest almost $450,000 over the next 18 months in two new projects, the development company announced today. [ + ]

US biotech Lipid Sciences has signed a $500,000 manufacturing pact with Progen Industries, boosting Progen's already-thriving contract drug manufacturing arm. [ + ]

A rheumatoid arthritis treatment developed by Sydney biotech Peptech could become the first of its monoclonal antibodies to hit the market, if drug giant Abbott Laboratories wins approval to market the drug Adalimumab in the US and Europe. [ + ]

Queensland's Cabinet has kicked off a sweeping effort to set in place a long-term R&D framework in place for emerging industries. [ + ]

Vita Life Sciences is seeking recompense from its former managing director over what it says was a costly breach of agreement. [ + ]

The three newest members of the board of Sydney biotech Peptech have resigned, after shareholders threatened to call an extraordinary general meeting to have them removed. [ + ]

A prototype handheld detector under development at Sandria National Laboratories in the US can identify the fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) of anthrax in less than five minutes.

The Federal Health Minister, Dr Brendan Nelson, has appointed researcher turned science writer Dr Thomas Barlow as his science advisor. [ + ]

Sydney's Catholic Archbishop, Dr George Pell, has promised to contribute $50,000 toward adult stem cell research, on condition that the NSW and Federal governments commit "significant money" to the research. [ + ]

Researchers at the Hunter Medical Research Institute (HMRI) have injected adult stem cells from the bone marrow of a 74-year-old man into his heart in an attempt to regenerate the blood supply. [ + ]

Prima Biomed (ASX:PRR) today announced it had created a new research and development position to support its commercialisation abilities. [ + ]

Baby boomers will reap the benefits of a new medical research institute opened today at Concord Hospital, in western Sydney. [ + ]