The new state-of-the-art 'ENTRI' facility is now open in south Brisbane enabling biotech companies to manufacture products on site.
It's Australia's first purpose-built manufacturing facility certified in current Good Manufacturing Practice set out by the Therapeutic Goods Administration.
The over $100 million ENTRI facility is supported by $3.4 million from Albanese Government, $83.4 million from the Crisafulli Government and the Translational Research Institute (TRI).
Representing a significant investment in Australia's advanced therapeutics and biomanufacturing capability, ENTRI provides infrastructure for the development and manufacturing of next-generation treatments and therapies.
Located at the TRI Alexandra Hospital campus, part of the Boggo Road Innovation Junction precinct, the landmark facility spans four floors and 7,000 square metres.
With five segregated clean rooms and 19 state of the art wet laboratories, ENTRI also provides high level technical capabilities to tenants.
ENTRI will create an expected 500 highly skilled science jobs and will unlock significant benefits for Australian companies.
The Queensland Government backed the overall ENTRI facility with an $80 million investment, supporting the development of this important capability in Queensland.
Complementary to that investment, the ENTRI Enhanced Capability Project is receiving $6.8 million in combined Australian and Queensland Government funding through the SEQ Innovation Economy Fund.
That funding will deliver enhanced ICT and digital infrastructure, critical facilities and specialised plant and equipment, further strengthening the capability of the ENTRI facility.
Quotes attributable to Federal Assistant Minister for Regional Development, Senator Anthony Chisholm:
"The ENTRI facility will ensure our brightest biotech minds can now progress their life saving innovations right here in Queensland without needing to go offshore.
"The Albanese Government is investing in a homegrown biomanufacturing sector and this project will establish Brisbane as a leading destination in the industry."
Quotes attributable to Deputy Premier of Queensland, Jarrod Bleijie:
"The biomedical sector is a priority industry for the Crisafulli Government. It's delivering jobs, investment, sovereign capability and most importantly helping to save lives.
"In addition to the funding to support building this facility, the Crisafulli Government's $180.6 million Sovereign Industry Development Fund is also supporting one of its first tenants, BioOra, to establish an automated clinical and commercial-scale CAR T-cell manufacturing suite.
"A world-class biotechnology manufacturing facility right here in Brisbane will ultimately benefit Australian patients by ensuring they receive access to medical breakthroughs and new therapies in record time."
Quotes attributable to Federal Member for Griffith, Renee Coffey:
"ENTRI is a launchpad for the future of healthcare in Brisbane and bridges the gap between laboratory research and commercial reality.
"This new facility in Brisbane will significantly strengthen the biomanufacturing sector that will benefit patients here in Australia and across the world."
Quotes attributable to TRI CEO, Professor Maher Gandhi:
"The $100 million plus, state-of-the-art facility will help turn promising scientific discoveries into real-world treatments, accelerating the path from research to patient care.
"ENTRI is the most exciting thing that has happened in Australian biomanufacturing in decades.
"It is going to be an engine of growth and will remove barriers to entry into the market for many biotech companies.
"Instead of having to send drug and vaccine manufacturing overseas, small and medium sized biotech companies will now be able to manufacture right here in Queensland.
"We greatly appreciate the Queensland Government's support for ENTRI and its ongoing investment in research and innovation.
"This commitment demonstrates a belief in the future of Australian biomanufacturing and improving health outcomes for everyone.
"ENTRI will showcase Queensland biomanufacturing and scientific discovery capabilities to the world and it will put Brisbane Australia on the map globally.
"A world-class biotechnology manufacturing facility right here in Brisbane will ultimately benefit Australian patients by ensuring they receive access to medical breakthroughs and new therapies in record time."
Quotes attributable to TRI Director of Biomanufacturing, David Crowley:
"ENTRI will deliver a new chapter of biomedical innovation for Australia.
"With the opening of ENTRI right next door to the TRI building, we are now one of the largest end-to-end translational research facilities in the southern hemisphere.
"This facility allows tenants to maintain control of their own manufacturing, their own scheduling, but also come in and operate within an ecosystem where me and my team will offer tenants wrap-around technical support."
"This will improve commercialisation and the speed of getting products to market for biotech and medtech companies.
"Tenants will also be able to take advantage of the reduced cost of development programs through Australia's research and development tax incentive."
Quotes attributable to TRI Board Chair, Emeritus Professor David Siddle:
"After serving on the board for nearly 10 years, it's been amazing to watch the growth and evolution of TRI.
"With the opening of ENTRI this year, TRI is now a global biomedical research and manufacturing ecosystem, strengthening researchers' ability to translate discoveries into treatments that improve patient's' lives.
"It also represents a significant step forward for Australia's medical research sector as a whole, strengthening our capacity to develop, manufacture and deliver innovative therapies.
"The opening of ENTRI will enable small and mid-sized companies to make their products when it would otherwise be too expensive.
"We can help them scale up, and we have world-class clean rooms built to highly stringent and sterile standards where they can put patients into phase one, two and three clinical trials.
"And then they can demonstrate that they have a drug that is safe, effective and can be given to patients as part of a standard of care."
