Solbec board casts off its mineral past
08 April, 2003 by Jeremy TorrWestern Australian mining-turned biotech company Solbec Pharmaceuticals has severed its last links with the minerals industry in a move it has signalled as "showing the market all our past history has gone."
Ventracor gets Standard & Poor thumbs up
08 April, 2003 by Jeremy TorrArtificial heart company Ventracor has been selected by Standard & Poor as one of its basket of standard stocks used to gauge market activity.
Alchemia slashes workforce
03 April, 2003 by Pete YoungOne of the stars of Queensland’s biotech industry, biopharmaceutical company Alchemia, has sent shock waves through the sector by slashing staff by 30 per cent.
Eiffel to collaborate with Aradigm
03 April, 2003 by Melissa TrudingerEiffel Technologies has entered into a collaboration with US drug delivery company Aradigm Corporation.
Kiwis hire former IMB chief to ID trans-Tasman opps
03 April, 2003 by Pete YoungOne of the fathers of Queensland's biotech industry, Prof Peter Andrews, has been hired by New Zealand to pinpoint promising opportunities for colloboration between the two regions.
OGTR gives thumbs-up to GM canola varieties
02 April, 2003 by Graeme O'NeillAustralia has taken the penultimate step towards growing its second transgenic crop -- the oilseed canola with yesterday's decision by the Office of the Gene Technology Regulator to release a risk-assessment and risk-management plan for Bayer CropScience's InVigor varieties, which contain three genes, two for hybrid vigour system, one for glufosinate resistance.
Virax signs supply deal with US MedImmune
02 April, 2003 by Melissa TrudingerVirax Holdings has entered into a supply agreement with US biotechnology company MedImmune.
Prana tackles Parkinson's disease
31 March, 2003 by Melissa TrudingerA paper published in prestigious journal Neuron has heralded Prana Biotechnology's technology as a potential therapeutic for Parkinson's disease and revealed the company's strategy to develop its MPAC (metal protein attenuating protein) class of compounds as a platform technology for a variety of diseases.
Eiffel targeting big pharma in 'low risk' strategy
28 March, 2003 by Jeremy TorrWhen Eiffel Technologies' CEO Christine Cussen said last December that the company would start this year with $6.2 million in its back pocket, she outlined several ways the funds would be used. One of these -- pursuing drug re-engineering research to extend patent protection -- could prove particularly lucrative given that drugs worth more than $US42 billion will come off patent in the next three years.
QBF to make first investments
27 March, 2003 by Pete YoungThe Queensland BioCapital Fund (QBF) appears set to throw its considerable weight into the venture capital scene in the most practical way possible - by making its first investments.
Axon teams with Affymetrix to develop gene scanning system
27 March, 2003 by Pete YoungDrug discovery instrumentation company Axon Instruments is joining forces with genomics tools supplier Affymetrix to develop a new type of gene scanning system that could deliver a much-needed revenue boost to Axon.
Melbourne Uni report positive on GM canola varieties
26 March, 2003 by Graeme O'NeillA new report from the University of Melbourne has found that genetically modified (GM), herbicide-tolerant canola varieties could be worth up to $AUD135 million a year to Australia's canola and wheat industries.
WA centre gets new SNP detection equipment
26 March, 2003 by Jeremy TorrIn a major boost for the WA State Agricultural Biotechnology Centre (SABC) at Murdoch University, researchers will take delivery of a new Transgenomic WAVE Denaturing High Performance Liquid Chromatograph (DHPLC).
Antisense defended in wake of Isis trial failure
25 March, 2003 by Melissa TrudingerMark Diamond, the CEO of Australian company Antisense Therapeutics, has defended antisense technology in the wake of a failed trial of the technology by US companies Isis Pharmaceuticals and Eli Lilly.
Big names scheduled to speak at NSW careers night
25 March, 2003 by Iain ScottAusBiotech's NSW branch has assembled a high-profile line-up for a careers night this Wednesday March 26.
