Australian Research Council CEO Prof Vicki Sara has been admitted by special election as a fellow of the Australian Academy of Science, for her contribution to recent government reforms and initiatives.

Australian biotechnology companies may be heading for a further tumble, delegates at the Financing Biotechnology meeting in Sydney this week were told.

Sleep disorder device company ResMed is on track to market its AutoSet CS device for the treatment of patients of cardiac heart failure.

Last week's Cooperative Research Centre Association conference revealed that ethical issues and public consultation are pertinent to the technological developments currently undertaken by Australian CRCs.

Medical device company Portland Orthopaedics has expanded into a larger Sydney-based facility to develop and manufacture its new style of hip and knee replacement joints.

The Federal government has named the eight people who will help to set Australia's national research priorities.

Some Cooperative Research Centres (CRCs) could struggle to meet their seven-year revenue projections, the annual CRC Association conference in Sydney has been told.

Dr Deborah Rathjen, CEO of listed Adelaide company Bionomics, says there are plenty of positive signs that South Australia has a burgeoning biotechnology industry.

Sydney-based company Sirtex Medical has completed Phase II/III clinical trials that showed over 90 per cent of liver cancer patients successfully responded to its radioactive SIR-Spheres treatment.

The writing was on the wall for the suspension of the Commonwealth government's R&D Start program as early as January, Australian Biotechnology News has learned.

Meditech Research has completed Phase I clinical trials of its anti-cancer therapy HyDox, indicating the treatment is safe for patients with breast cancer, renal carcinoma, sarcoma and prostate cancer.