A first-of-its-kind facility in Brisbane, backed by the Morrison Government, will see Australian start-ups able to manufacture potentially life-changing products for clinical trials here at home.
The T3 Cleanrooms at the Translational Research Institute will support the development of new medical technologies and pharmaceuticals - fast-tracking job-creating innovations in Australia.
Launching the facility today, Minister for Industry, Science and Technology Karen Andrews said the $500,000 in federal funding demonstrates the Government's commitment to medical product manufacturing.
"We want to back our medical product manufacturers to scale up and take on the world - that's why it's one of six priorities under our $1.5 billion Modern Manufacturing Strategy," Minister Andrews said.
"The T3 Cleanrooms are an Australian first and will help us locally manufacture medical technology and pharmaceutical products for clinical trials - products that can be of great benefit to consumers worldwide.
"The facility will also help start-up companies test their innovations locally and will be a perfect training ground for our researchers and students."
Along with the funding from MTPConnect - one of the Government's Industry Growth Centres - the Translational Research Institute has committed $500,000 and Australian biotech company Vaxxas has provided in kind support.
Translational Research Institute CEO Professor Scott Bell said the facility is the outcome of a successful partnership with Vaxxas.
"Vaxxas worked with us to identify a critical gap in medtech manufacturing and skills for companies needing to scale-up production for clinical trials, which led TRI to develop the unique T3 Cleanrooms," Professor Bell said.
"Having access to this vital facility is enabling Vaxxas to progress its innovative vaccine technology from preclinical to clinical trials, and is a great example of the translational pathway that exists at TRI to foster the commercialisation of Australian medical innovations."
MTPConnect Managing Director and CEO Dr Dan Grant said the Growth Centre's funding has been critical in setting up the clinical manufacturing training hub at the TRI and upgrading its dedicated cleanrooms to Current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP).
"Having state of the art facilities like these cleanrooms at the TRI means Australian start-ups, like Vaxxas, don't have to take their small-scale, early stage clinical product manufacturing for clinical trials overseas," Dr Grant said.
"It means we can keep our best and brightest innovators here in Australia and importantly, accelerate the translation of new innovations which lead to new jobs, economic growth and improved patient outcomes."
