Expanding ambitions: MIPS acquires CSIRO facilities
Monash University Parkville campus houses the Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences and the Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences.
The Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences (MIPS) is a world leader in drug discovery, development and innovation. Now, MIPS is set to expand its capabilities and ambitions as it prepares to move into the newly acquired CSIRO facilities at Parkville.
A history of excellence
Since its establishment in 2008, MIPS, situated within the Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences (FPPS), has used its significant research infrastructure to work with industry partners on drug discoveries for diseases such as neurological and psychiatric disorders, cancer, cardio-metabolic disease, malaria and infectious diseases. Always ambitious, the Institute has forged a reputation as one of the world’s leading research centres encompassing the gamut of drug discovery and development, through to medicine use and safety.
Last year, OmegaOne Therapeutics, a partnership between MIPS and Australian National University, received a $500,000 grant to develop a method to block inflammation caused by such common diseases as cardiovascular disease, Parkinson’s, type 2 diabetes and severe asthma. Other recent MIPS successes include the Australia-first use of mRNA science to produce three new COVID-19 vaccine candidates, the 2018 launch of Cincera Therapeutics to discover and develop new treatment drugs for inflammatory and fibrotic diseases, and the 2022 launch of Septerna Inc., the largest biotech start-up to ever come out of Monash University.
Such initiatives have placed MIPS at the forefront of research that translates into real-world impact and application.
“Even when we started MIPS, our view was that we needed to be doing things differently and in a more translational sense,” says Professor Chris Porter, Director of MIPS.
Now, the Institute plans to evolve its focus on translational research even further. Dean of FPPS Professor Arthur Christopoulos, FAA FAHMS, explains MIPS’s goals.
“MIPS is expanding its fundamental, high-impact, discovery science to strategically and purposely incorporate a translation / application / enterprise-focused approach across its multiple research programs. The overall goal is to accelerate and realise the practical applications of these programs more effectively than ever before.”
Moving into the future: The CSIRO site
L-R: Professor Chris Porter and Professor Arthur Christopoulos, FAA FAHMS.
Bigger goals need more space – and a recent acquisition has afforded MIPS just that. Earlier this year, the University purchased the CSIRO’s Parkville site, which will allow MIPS to expand.
Sitting adjacent to the Monash University Parkville campus, the CSIRO site increases Monash’s footprint in the Melbourne Biomedical Precinct. Comprising both older and more modern buildings, the site has been in use by the CSIRO for more than five decades and covers almost 5000 square metres.
“Buying the new space was absolutely critical. We have grown so fast that we outgrew our current site,” explains Chris. “Both our fundamental and translational research and commercialisation have grown very rapidly over the last several years, to the point where we were constrained by the space we had.”
Envisioned as a “Translational Medicine Accelerator Building”, the new site will focus on unique platforms, capabilities and collaboration with academic and commercial partners to fill key gaps in the pharmaceutical development process that are often missing in many other academic institutes.
Dean, Professor Arthur Christopoulos, reinforces the need for the new premises.
“MIPS has significantly expanded in terms of commercialisation and entrepreneurial activities. We are at a critical juncture requiring a new building to bring these and other related initiatives - and like-minded researchers - together,” he adds.
Bringing together people with unique discovery and development skills under the one roof is integral to forging ahead with translating more early-stage therapeutic discoveries from within both Monash and other local research precincts, and would represent a first for Australia.
“At the moment we don’t have the flexibility to co-locate many of the people who are focused on early drug discovery and translation,” says Chris. “The new building will allow us to do that. Bringing scientists together in a single building will allow synergies in the way they work, and synergy of access to many collaborators and partners.”
“Opportunities will arise by virtue of being in the same building and that really doesn’t exist anywhere else in the country.”
The collaborative opportunities fostered by the new site will build a critical bridge.
“There’s a recognised gap between initial fundamental discovery research in academia and the ability to translate this research for clinical application in pharmaceuticals,” Arthur explains. “This new building aims to address this, enhancing the ability to translate medicinal discoveries based on a range of therapeutic modalities into clinical applications.”
While the new site’s focus will be on translating research and discoveries, it will also benefit the next generation of researchers.
“Though not designed for education, the acquisition of the new building will allow us to re-develop other areas within our existing FPPS footprint to address the growing need for spaces that maximise our innovative and highly in-demand educational programs,” says Arthur. “It will also serve as an incubator for companies and provide growth opportunities for students.”
“Specifically, it will allow our students to witness how an environment resembling a virtual drug company actually works. It can also serve as a springboard, through partnerships within and beyond Monash, for workforce development opportunities that offer early exposure to the process of drug discovery and development.”
Renovations before discoveries
Before MIPS can fully realise its plans, the new site needs work.
“The buildings’ internals were, in large part, past the end of their useful life, so they will be effectively gutted and refitted,” says Chris.
The renovation planning process is well underway, but is complex and will continue through 2024. The refit will follow before new projects can begin, starting with a focus on neuromedicines.
“One of our major therapeutic areas of focus is in novel approaches to treating mental health,” explains Chris.
The new facilities will also mean that MIPS can push forward with its other core therapeutic foci of cardiovascular, metabolic and global health.
To achieve these goals, the MIPS team needs to grow. It’s something Chris already has his eye on.
“We have people we would like to recruit to come and work with us, but we didn’t have the space for them. The new building will provide us opportunities in that regard,” he says.
More than just new facilities, the new site will allow MIPS to accelerate its ambitions, to deliver on projects that are already funded, and to scale up in a way that was, until now, impossible.
Chris puts it simply: “It will be transformative.”
