Treasurer visits Monash, scientists showcase medical innovations
L - R: Andrew Peele, President and Vice-Chancellor Professor Margaret Gardner AC, Professor Michelle McIntosh, Professor Paul Monagle, Treasurer the Hon Tim Pallas MP, Matt Fregon MP.
Victorian Government Treasurer, Tim Pallas, recently visited the Monash Technology Precinct at the University’s Clayton campus where he met with the scientists behind the Medicines Manufacturing Innovation Centre (MMIC), an initiative dedicated to strengthening sovereign medicines manufacturing capabilities.
The team, led by MMIC Director Professor Michelle McIntosh, showcased two of the Centre’s development projects, including a unique inhaled oxytocin product designed to prevent and treat postpartum haemorrhage, along with an intranasal heparin spray to reduce the clinical impact on individuals infected with COVID, and lower the risk of transmission.
Both projects are preparing for clinical trials to commence in 2022, with $4.2 million from the state government recently awarded to the multi-institute intranasal heparin project.
MMIC was established in 2017 as part of a joint initiative between the Victorian State Government and Parkville’s Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences (MIPS) to provide opportunities for innovation in medicine formulation, product development and industrialisation.
In 2021 it was announced that the expansion of MMIC to Clayton has been funded through an $8.58 million investment from the Victorian Higher Education State Investment Fund (VHESIF), allowing the scale-up of medicine manufacturing capability, and support for clinical trials and growth of exports and jobs. Construction is expected to finish towards the end of 2023.
Professor Michelle McIntosh said that the expansion of MMIC to Clayton will deliver far-reaching benefits to the Victorian community.
“This investment from the state government will enhance research commercialisation opportunities and enable our team of dedicated pharmaceutical scientists to continue to drive forward the end-to-end development of medicines such as inhaled oxytocin and intranasal heparin, with the aim to address urgent unmet medical needs.”
At the same time, the MMIC Clayton node will support the creation of future industries and jobs, accelerate the attraction of international investment, and build access to global supply chains.
“We are grateful to the Victorian Government for their ongoing commitment to medical research and innovation, giving the citizens of Victoria the confidence that local manufacture of medicines is growing and we will therefore be increasingly less reliant on other countries for essential medical products.”
Monash University President and Vice-Chancellor Professor Margaret Gardner AC said the permanent MMIC facility will become an important part of the Monash Technology Precinct - Victoria’s largest employment precinct outside the CBD.
“The Monash Technology Precinct is one of Australia’s most diverse ecosystems of globally-connected innovators and enterprises,” Professor Gardner said. “The MMIC will join world-leading research and technology companies, such as Moderna, which last month announced it will build its first mRNA production facility in the Southern Hemisphere at the Precinct in Clayton.”
The MMIC Clayton node will be a purpose designed and built facility including laboratory and office space, co-located with the Australian Synchrotron in the heart of the Monash Technology Precinct and close to the future Monash Suburban Rail Loop station, promoting further economic opportunities and growing employment.
Monash University is ranked number one globally in the 2022 QS World University Rankings by Subject for Pharmacy and Pharmacology.