SYDNEY, May 17 -- AsiaNet QANTAS IT... SYDNEY: Qantas has selected IBM Global Services to manageits data centre and related information technologyrequirements, a media statement said. www.ibm.com BENITEC US... QUEENSLAND and SUNNYVALE, Calif.: Benitec Ltd. has announcedin a media statement the acquisition of Avocel, Inc. ofSunnyvale, California, a leading RNAi therapeutics company, andthe establishment of its wholly-owned U.S. subsidiary, Benitec,Inc. ATUGEN & SANKYO... BERLIN: atugen AG has signed a multi-year contract researchagreement with Sankyo Co. Ltd, one of Japan's leadingpharmaceutical companies, media statement said. www.sankyo.co.jp PATENT DISPUTE... BILLERICA, Mass.: Mykrolis Corporation announced in a pressrelease that the United States District Court for the Districtof Massachusetts has ordered Pall Corporation to stop sellingits PhotoKleen EZD-2 Filter Assembly products to itscustomers. www.mykrolis.com CHINA TELECOMMUNICATIONS... LOD & WUHAN: Fiberhome, a leading fiber optic and majorbroadband telecom equipment provider, has selected AudioCodes'UMTS compliant Stretto 8000 media gateways for its complete 3GUMTS W-CDMA solution for the cellular market in China,according to a press realease. www.audiocodes.com DESIGN DUO... NEW YORK: Designers Pierre Dinand and Tim Girvin have formeda creative alliance to formulate brand design programs forprestige beauty and fragrance clients worldwide, a mediastatement said. www.girvin.com EBAY FRAUD... CARSON CITY: QuikDrop International and Collectors Universe,Inc. have launched a joint consumer protection plan to preventfakes and forgeries from being offered for sale on eBay, amedia statement said. www.collectors.com www.quikdrop.com PHOSPHATE BINDER... LISBON: In the wake of its first regulatory approval inSweden, Shire's new non-calcium, non-aluminium phosphate binderFosrenol is set to undergo further assessment in twin phaseIIIb studies in the US and Europe / Canada, with over 450patients in each, a press release said. www.shire.com RENAL CRISIS... LISBON: Data presented at this year's ERA-EDTA congress inLisbon supports predictions by renal experts that rates ofkidney disease in Europe are set to soar, largely as a resultof the growing worldwide incidence of diabetes, according to amedia statement. www.shire.com SK TELECOM... SEOUL: SK Telecom has awarded IBM a US$120 million, two-yearcontract to implement a new process and applicationinfrastructure to support the transformation of SK Telecom'sbusiness and marketing functions, a press release said. www.ibm.com/bcs SCOTT + SCOTT... COLCHESTER, Conn.: Scott + Scott, LLC, a Connecticut lawfirm with offices in Ohio and California, has filed an updatedcomplaint and extended the class period in a securities classaction lawsuit against Nortel Networks Corporation, a pressrelease said. www.scott-scott.com SHARK TALE... CANNES: DreamWorks Pictures has issued the following captionto accompany the photo available athttp://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20040514/LAF054, a mediastatement said. www.dreamworkspresskits.com www.image.net FANNIE MAE... WASHINGTON, D.C.: Fannie Mae will issue US$4 billion in5-year benchmark notes, which will mature on May 15, 2009. www.fanniemae.com FANNIE MAE... WASHINGTON, D.C.: Fannie Mae will redeem the principalamount of two securities issues amounting to a total of US$200million on May 24, 2004 at a redemption price equal to 100percent of the principal amount redeemed plus accruedinterest. http://www.fanniemae.com TRANSPLANT PRESENTATION... BASEL: Demonstrating the strength of its 20 year commitmentto improving transplant patients' lives, Novartis will presentmore than 50 abstracts on existing products and developmentalcompounds at the fifth annual American Transplant Congress nextweek in Boston, a media statement said. www.pharma.novartis.com (AsiaNet is a consortium of leading news agenciesdistributing unedited, translated news releases for worldwideclients. Visit www.asianetnews.net for full-text versions.)