MRFF back Monash mRNA researchers
Team member Dr Harry Al-Wassiti.
The Commonwealth Government’s Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) has invested $5 million into a new Monash laboratory dedicated to developing mRNA vaccines and therapeutics for future clinical trials.
The project will provide a pipeline for mRNA research groups to identify and select the most promising therapeutic candidates in proof-of-concept studies to advance toward human trials, with the potential to develop vaccines against infectious diseases, and develop new therapies to treat liver diseases, metabolic diseases, muscular diseases, rare genetic diseases or cancer.
Leading the project is Professor Colin Pouton from the Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences (MIPS) and the project will be conducted in collaboration with Monash’s Biomedicine Discovery Institute (BDI). The laboratory will be located at MIPS.
Professor Pouton said the funding will fill a critical gap to put Australian industry at the forefront of mRNA technology by identifying and developing mature mRNA candidate products that are ready to be manufactured for clinical testing, strengthening Australia’s resilience to a range of diseases and future health emergencies.
“This project builds on Monash’s experience in the design, development and manufacture of mRNA products to build a number of new products for clinical development. Through the establishment of a newly dedicated lab, our research collaborators will be positioned to accelerate promising candidates through preclinical development for progression into manufacturing for clinical trials and beyond” said Professor Pouton.
Monash has been working on mRNA technology for a number of years and designed and developed Australia’s first mRNA clinical candidate, a second generation COVID-19 mRNA vaccine.
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About Monash mRNA
Monash University is home to Monash RNA, Australia's largest network of RNA and mRNA researchers and brings together mRNA specialists from the fields of biotechnology, infectious disease, immunity and cancer, at the leading edge of a new era in novel mRNA therapeutics.
Monash mRNA researchers are working to fill a critical gap to put Australian industry at the forefront of mRNA technology. From identifying and developing mRNA candidates, through to clinical testing and manufacturing, Monash is strengthening Australia’s resilience to a range of diseases and future health emergencies.