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Cochlear Limited (COH) announced the resignation of Tommie Bergman as chairman and non-executive director, effective 30 June 2010. The company said Rick Holliday-Smith would succeed Mr Bergman as chairman. Cochlear said Mr Holliday-Smith was appointed a director in 2005 and is currently chairman of the Audit Committee and a member of the Nominations and Remuneration Committees. The company said Mr Holliday-Smith is currently a director of Servcorp Limited and also chairman of un-listed Snowy Hydro Limited.

Analytica Limited (ALT) announced the receipt of 510(k) clearance from the US Food and Drug Administration to market the AutoStart Burette in the United States. The company said it made its initial sales of the AutoStart Burette in Australia in November, and is currently finalising a Distribution Agreement with Medical Australia Limited (MLA) for the distribution of the AutoStart Burette in Australia, New Zealand and the UK. The company said under their agreement with Analytica, Medical Australia would also become the manufacturer of the AutoStart Burette.

Sigma Pharmaceuticals Limited (SIP) requested its shares be suspended from trading as the company expects to make an announcement to the market in relation to revised earnings guidance for the year ended 31 January 2010. The company said it expects that the suspension remain in place until it makes an announcement concerning revised guidance for the year or requests that the suspension be lifted. Sigma expects to make an announcement to the market concerning the revised guidance before the expected date for the release of its preliminary final results.

Healthscope Limited (HSP) shares were placed in trading pending an announcement regarding the outcome of late stage negotiations regarding a potential acquisition, and an associated capital raising. Healthscope said the suspension is not expected to last beyond the commencement of trading next Thursday.

Pharmaxis Limited (PXS) said it had completed the first Phase I clinical trial, which was designed to determine the tolerance and pharmacokinetic profile of PXS25, following intravenous administration in healthy volunteers. The company said at all doses, PXS25 was found to be safe and well tolerated with a pharmacokinetic profile consistent with a drug that could be delivered once per day. Pharmaxis said the encouraging results from PXS25 in pre clinical testing suggest it would be active in a range of fibrotic diseases. The company added that additional Phase I trials would be completed before PXS25 is evaluated in patients with lung disease.

Biota Holdings Limited (BTA) said it had received written notification from GlaxoSmithKline that Relenza sales were $462 million and indicative royalties were $32.6 million, for the December 2009 quarter. The company said it would report first half indicative Relenza royalty income of $56.7 million, up from $3.8 million in 2008, when it releases its Interim Report on 17 February 2010.

Medic Vision Limited (MVH) said it has successfully completed the acquisition of the digital marketing and communications company, cBox Pty Limited. The company said cBox offers cost effective digital marketing and communication solutions on a global scale via fax, email, mobile phone/sms and Interactive Voice Recognition. Medic Vision said it issued 45,600,000 shares at $0.045 each as consideration for the acquisition, with up to a further 18,000,000 shares to be issued as consideration, if and when, the holders of the Medic Vision convertible notes, convert the notes into shares. As part of the transaction, the CEO of cBox, Jason Edwards, has been appointed a Director of Medic Vision. The company said he would also head the cBox sales and marketing team reporting to the new cBox CEO, Vince Leone.

CathRx Limited (CXD) said sales for the second quarter of FY10 missed forecasts at $151,308. The company said the lower than expected figure could be attributed to delays in entering the French and German cardiac catheter market and a strong appreciation in the Australian dollar in the six-month period following the release of the forecast.

Pharmaceutical company Pharmaxis Limited (PXS) today announced the results of the phase III trial of Bronchitol for the treatment of cystic fibrosis. Lung function increased for patients from 6.5% at the six month mark to 8% over the course of twelve months, while patients who were treated initially with a placebo saw lung capacity increase by over 20% when treatment was switched to Bronchitol. Bronchitol is designed to hydrate the airway surface of the lungs, and promote normal lung mucus clearance, the company said.

Sonic Healthcare Limited (SHL) said it had acquired Rhode Island based East Side Clinical Laboratory for an undisclosed sum. Sonic said the US laboratory, established in 1949, had annual revenues of over US$30 million and would expand Sonic’s presence in the populous north-west region of the United States.