May 2006

<headline>Beneath the Drapes

Dr John De Campo has resigned as director of the North Metropolitan Area Health Service. He is to return to Victoria for family reasons.

Perth-based skins and burns treatment developer Clinical Cell Culture Ltd (C3) has announced Managing Director Troels Jordansen will be stepping down from his position as CEO, while Professor Fiona Wood has rejoined the board. C3 announced the TGA had approved its ReCell tissue harvesting device in Australia.

Dr Belinda Bailey has stepped down as the State Manager of RACGP WA to accept a position with The Cancer Council WA as the Director, Cancer Services.

Solbec Pharmaceuticals has appointed Dr David Sparling to the position of General Manager. Dr Sparling brings to the position scientific and commercial expertise through his experience as a lawyer and veterinary surgeon.

Ms Helen Beard has been appointed to the position of Community Relations Manager with the Asthma Foundation of WA. She will be responsible for fundraising and managing special community initiatives such as the Freeway Bike Hike.

Mr Ken Atkinson has been named as CEO for Advance Healthcare Group Ltd, replacing interim CEO Mr Adrian Loader (following Sam Di-Giacomo's departure last year). The company is hoping for a $10 million funding deal under Mr Atkinson's leadership from Hawkesbridge Private Equity. The Balcatta-based company is belatedly finalising their accounts from December 2005 and another loss is expected following a series of unfortunate acquisition bids.

Advance's core business is pharmaceutical, medical consumables and equipment company Cottman Australia. Advance/Cottman sought to acquire Medical Products Group (MPG) last year, but MPG was subsequently placed into administration. Lynn Bradshaw is again heading MPG after Cottman put a deed of company arrangement to creditors. Another Advance failure was the planned collaboration between Advance's subsidiary Pharmeasy and e-health company IBA.

Murdoch University's Veterinary School has appointed senior research fellow Dr Trevor Ellis. Dr Ellis has returned from Hong Kong where he was involved with the establishment of a major new animal health laboratory and worked with critical pathogens including the H5N1 avian influenza.

Perth-based bio-nanotech company pSivida Ltd has entered into an evaluation agreement with a large medical device company to evaluate cardiovascular delivery of drugs using pSivida's drug delivery technologies.

Western Australian health insurance giant HBF has taken a major step in its strategy of offering a wider range of financial services by signing a memorandum of understanding with Bank of Queensland.