Ena Respiratory Pty Ltd. raised an AU$34 million (US$22.4 million) series B round to advance INNA-051, its nasal spray for symptomatic viral respiratory infections, to phase II trials. New investors in the Melbourne-headquartered company include the Gates Foundation and Flu Lab. Existing investors Brandon Capital, Uniseed and Stoic Venture Capital also participated in the round.

Although Argenica Therapeutics Ltd.’s stroke drug, ARG-007, saw mixed results in top-line phase II data, new data in functional outcomes studies showed signs the drug helped patients think more clearly, regain independence, and enjoy a better quality of life after stroke.

Although Argenica Therapeutics Ltd.’s stroke drug, ARG-007, saw mixed results in top-line phase II data, new data in functional outcomes studies showed signs the drug helped patients think more clearly, regain independence, and enjoy a better quality of life after stroke.

Ena Respiratory Pty Ltd. raised an AU$34 million (US$22.4 million) series B round to advance INNA-051, its nasal spray for symptomatic viral respiratory infections, to phase II trials. New investors in the Melbourne-headquartered company include the Gates Foundation and Flu Lab. Existing investors Brandon Capital, Uniseed and Stoic Venture Capital also participated in the round.

Radiopharm Theranostics Ltd. completed a AU$35 million (US$22.77 million) placement to advance six of its radiopharmaceutical candidates for both diagnostic and therapeutic uses. The funds raised will go toward clinical trials, drug manufacturing and working capital to extend Radiopharm’s funding runway into 2027.

Total arterial revascularization (TAR) might not be the most popular approach to coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), but it is gaining in popularity according to a new study appearing in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. The authors said that TAR provides superior mortality outcomes compared to bypass grafting that relies on both veins and arteries for graft materials, a finding that might suggest lower rates of downstream angioplasty and stenting.

Bryet US Inc. has received Australian Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC) approval for its first-in-human study of ML-016 for patients with advanced cancer with lung and/or liver involvement. Enrollment in the phase I/II trial will begin early next year.

While the discussions and votes at the past two meetings of the U.S. CDC Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices (ACIP) have generated a lot of controversy and resulted in some states and medical groups issuing their own vaccine schedules, the truth is that the newly reconstituted committee’s recommendations to date are still in line with, or more generous in some instances than, global norms.

Starpharma Holdings Ltd.’s stock shot up 73% on the news that it is outlicensing its dendrimer enhanced product drug delivery technology to Roche Holding AG subsidiary Genentech Inc. in a deal worth more than $569 million.

While U.S. policymakers are scaling back funding on mRNA vaccine research, Australia is accelerating investment in the technology. At the center of this effort is Moderna Inc., which is establishing an mRNA research and manufacturing footprint in the country and banking on decades of local expertise to bring new therapies to the clinic and serve as a regional hub for Asia Pacific.