Our monthly update on technology transfer deals--licensing agreements between companies and universities or other research institutions--in the fields of life sciences, including pharmaceuticals, medical devices, in vitro diagnostics and research/analytical instrumentation and reagents.

Centella Therapeutics gained the rights to an investigational drug from New Zealand-based Auckland UniServices designed to pump up the effectiveness of radiotherapy and chemotherapy used to treat oxygen-starved, or hypoxic, solid tumors.

A new joint Australia/New Zealand fund to support the commercialisation of intellectual property deriving from academic research has made its first investment, in an oncology therapeutics venture.

The other land down under is getting serious about moving its affordable world-class science to global markets. For start-ups, establishing a US presence may be key. The three NZ start-ups that we profile in this issue--CoDa Therapeutics, Proacta and Protemix--have found their own paths for taking their technologies to the worldwide market via a US presence.