West Australian animal health company Stirling Products is developing a compound for increased muscle production and reduced fat in livestock that also has applications in porky pets.

So, you're a small biotech looking to get into bed with Big Pharma. Kate McDonald spoke to Merck's head of research Ismail Kola about life on the dark side.

Perth-based Solbec Pharmaceuticals' (ASX:SBP ) managing director, Stephen Carter, has resigned.

Sydney-based gastrointestinal drug development company Giaconda, has opened its initial public offering and plans to list on the ASX in late September, with the aim of raising AUD$6 million.

A new environment for pharmaceutical companies is on the horizon and it will be the fittest who survive, predicts Ian Nisbet.

Monash University is hoping to move into the big league of international protein research after completing the world's largest installation of GE Healthcare's new parallel protein purification workstation, in readiness for first light from Victoria's new $180 million synchrotron in 2007.

Mayne Group will book a AUD$5 million one-off charge in its first-half results after a UK appeal court ruled its version of the cancer drug epirubicin infringed a patent on the original drug.

Executives with US experience and contacts in the international equities market remain as popular as ever amongst Australian biotechs, if this week's board appointments are anything to go by.

Pfizer, faced with slowing earnings growth, and safety concerns that have hurt demand for its arthritis products, is conducting a comprehensive review of its operations and is considering job cuts.

Spearheading clinical trials in Victoria is Cancer Trials Australia, a consortium involving four hospitals -- including Austin Health, the Royal Melbourne Hospital, the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and Western Hospital -- as well as the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research and the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research.

General Electric has made a bid to buy the UK's largest medical imaging company, Amersham. The combined company will have combined revenues of US$13 billion.