Virax gets approval for early phase trial of HIV vaccine in South Africa

Ross Dobinson has been appointed as Acrux's (ASX:ACR) non-executive chairman, replacing Nuno D'Aquino who is stepping down due to private commitments. D'Aquino will continue as a non-executive director and will chair the board's Human Capital Committee.

Melbourne immunotherapy developer Virax Holdings (ASX:VHL) has raised $3.1 million through a rights issue for the further development of its HIV therapeutic vaccine, falling $700,000 short of the $3.8 million the company planned to raise.

Australian biotech stocks underperformed both the All Ordinaries and the Nasdaq Biotech Index in 2005, but the second half of the year was brighter with stocks gaining 23.2 per cent, according to the Intersuisse Biotechnology Index.

Melbourne immunotherapy developer Virax Holdings (ASX:VHL) has lodged a prospectus to raise AUD$3.85 million through a rights issue for the further development of its HIV therapeutic vaccine VIR201 following its unsuccessful bid for US NIH funding.

Melbourne and California-based ChemGenex Pharmaceuticals (ASX:CXS) has been awarded two linkage project grants worth AUD$525,000 in cash from the Australian Research Council (ARC) over the next three years.

Melbourne immunotherapy developer Virax Holdings (ASX:VHL) has begun a pre-clinical trial of its novel candidate vaccine for late-stage prostate cancer at the Royal Adelaide Hospital Cancer Centre.

Development-stage biotechnology company Virax Holdings (ASX: VHL) has raised $3.4 million in a capital raising aimed to progress its prostate cancer and HIV drug development programs.

A claim from Virax Holdings that it had been approached by Melbourne company Institute of Drug Technology with a view to a full takeover, has taken IDT managing director Graeme Blackman by surprise.

Virax Holdings has entered into a supply agreement with US biotechnology company MedImmune.