Most of Australia's leading healthcare firms are expected to post strong first-half profit growth and provide positive outlook statements as the benefits of takeovers and spin-offs start to filter through, according to analysts.

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.

The Australian Stock Exchange has created a market that attracts not only local biotechnology companies, but also gives opportunities to foreign companies that would be unable to attract capital in their own markets. Helen Schuller reports.

The Australian life sciences sector has picked up with small cap stocks seeing positive growth in the last quarter, according to the November edition of PricewaterhouseCoopers' quarterly BioForum report.

The new AusBiotech/ASX code of practice for reporting by life science companies, launched last week, is being hailed as an important milestone in the development of the Australian biotech sector. Here, Igor Gonda, who was on the committee to review the code's first draft, explains why he believes the code is so important to the industry.

Cochlear boss Chris Roberts has spent 30 years at Australia's leading device companies -- but that doesn't mean he has stopped learning, as Helen Schuller discovers.

Dump the drugs? No -- but dump the stigma of 'biotech' and look for proper recognition from the investment community, writes CogState CEO Peter Bick.

Alastair Hood has resigned as a director of Avantogen (ASX:ACU), formerly Australian Cancer Technology, citing increased corporate and travel commitments with his investment company Bluespire as the reason for his departure.

The latest edition of PricewaterhouseCoopers' quarterly BioForum report is published today, and shows a second consecutive decline in Australian life science stocks in Q4 of the 2004-05 financial year.

The main message to come out of a survey of Australian genomics and proteomics companies, conducted by health care analysts Frost and Sullivan, was that the industry needs more collaboration between academia, companies and those providing funding to engender investor confidence.

A new report on ASX-listed life sciences companies by PricewaterhouseCoopers shows that the sector has posted its worst quarterly performance in three years.