German biotechnology manufacturer BioNTech has selected Victoria to house its Asia-Pacific mRNA clinical research and development centre.
The company, which is behind the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 mRNA vaccine, will establish its new facility in the state, which will be part of its global network and support researchers who seek to translate their work into medical breakthroughs.
Treasurer Tim Pallas and Minister for Innovation, Medical Research, and the Digital Economy Jaala Pulford announced the in-principle partnership with BioNTech today.
Victoria and BioNTech have entered formal discussions to bring the company’s cutting-edge solutions into the state by establishing a clinical-scale mRNA manufacturing facility in Melbourne.
As part of the partnership, BioNTech will supply next-generation mRNA therapeutics and vaccines for research and clinical trials, including infectious diseases, cancer medicines and personalised cancer treatments
The world-leading company will also equip Victoria with its artificial intelligence-driven early warning and identification technology, which can be used to detect future disease threats and rapidly develop new treatments and vaccines.
“This partnership is a major step forward to enable access to mRNA technology and promote collaboration,” said Ugur Sahin, CEO and co-founder of BioNTech.
“Australia provides excellent academic research, and we are looking forward to collaborating with world-class scientists and researchers to strengthen Australia’s mRNA ecosystem and jointly develop novel treatments and vaccines for people worldwide.”
The in-principle partnership comes after the Australian government, Victoria, and Moderna collaborated to build an mRNA vaccine manufacturing facility at Monash University, creating job opportunities for many state residents, prepping Australians for future pandemics, and supporting the local industry.
“BioNTech and Moderna are the only companies in the world to deliver mRNA products to market and soon they will both call Victoria home,” said Pulford.
The latest partnerships with these pharmaceutical companies are part of Victoria’s efforts to cement its position as Australia’s leader in pharmaceutical and biological manufacturing, the state government said in a statement.
