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A small Melbourne company founded by two medical researchers has landed one of Australia's biggest potential licensing deals.

BCAL Diagnostics has secured a seat on Genetic Signatures' board, though it is only part of what it asked for. At an Extraordinary General Meeting, shareholders voted to appoint Dr John Melki to the GSS board but rejected the other three resolutions BCAL had put forward.

Melbourne biotech Magellan Stem Cells is 17 years old and about to begin a pivotal Phase 3 trial of its stem cell treatment for osteoarthritis, a condition affecting more than 2 million Australians. Yet under legislation now before the Federal Parliament, it may also lose access to the refundable R&D Tax Incentive.

AusBiotech says the Government's R&D tax bill still penalises the clinical trial and manufacturing companies Australia most wants to keep. The industry body is now pushing for changes in the Senate.

The Melbourne company dosed the first patient in its Beyond Harmony study of NTI164 on 21 September. All six sites across Victoria, Queensland, New South Wales, Tasmania and Western Australia are now open.

Neurizon Therapeutics has finished enrolling its pivotal ALS trial ahead of schedule. The US Food and Drug Administration has also told the Melbourne company that a single positive study could support approval of its lead drug, NUZ-001.

Nyrada Chair John Moore thanked shareholders for their backing. "We sincerely thank all CDI holders for their support. This SPP was designed to give our valued holders the chance to participate in the company's capital raise on the same terms as the placement participants."

OncoSil chief executive Nigel Lange said the paper strengthened the evidence for the device. "The publication of this peer-reviewed clinical study adds to the growing body of clinical evidence evaluating OncoSil in patients with unresectable locally advanced pancreatic cancer," he said.

Immuron says its travellers' diarrhoea tablet, Travelan, has overtaken Imodium in total Australian pharmacy sales over the past 13 weeks. A brand relaunch helped lift the Melbourne company's local sales by 14 per cent in the September quarter.

"Most people can't conceive what daily life is like for a person living with Prader-Willi syndrome," said Kathlene Jones, CEO of the Prader-Willi Research Foundation Australia.

Dr Brian McNamee AO will retire from CSL's board in March next year, and Gordon Naylor, who has served as Interim CEO and Managing Director since February, will become the company's chair.

Australia's biotechnology sector has just had its biggest gathering yet. Australia's Biggest Week in Biotech 2026 drew 2,019 delegates from 24 countries to the Gold Coast, and AusBiotech says it was its largest edition yet.