Clinical trials have been a cornerstone of medical research for centuries. It is a painstaking process for medical companies to ensure their interventions can make a difference for the members of the community they wish to treat.
Just as the global competition for medication is fierce, so too is the market to host these clinical trials. In this game of global top trumps, Australia has placed itself in an enviable position compared to many other developed nations.
With Australia home to several leading Universities such as Melbourne University, Monash University and Sydney University among others who consistently ranking in the top 100 in the world, multiple major medical organisations with significant numbers of staff on their shore and governments keen to advance medical research, Australia has continued to punch above it’s comparative weight in terms of population sizes.
The reasoning Australia is positioning itself in such a way is no coincidence. Many bureaucratic and political leaders have stated they want to see Australia become even more of a medical force. Indeed Victorian Premier, Daniel Andrews, often places Melbourne alongside both Boston and Oxford in public comments when it comes to medical research.
The Federal Government is also committed to the cause. Established in 2014 by the then Coalition Government, the Medical Research Future Fund, a $AU 20 billion fund has set up a key funding pathway for research, with annual investment returns of around $650 million which are invested for this process.
From these significant returns, the Clinical Trials Activity initiative was spun out and is set to provide $750 million over 10 years between 2022–23 and 2031–32 to drive increased clinical trial activity in Australia.
The initial focus of this initiative was placed on clinical trials addressing rare cancers, rare diseases, and unmet needs, and on bringing investigator-led international clinical trials to Australia.
The results of the continued focus in building a strong domestic trials market was seen during the COVID-19 pandemic. With Moderna quickly expanding its reach thanks to it’s effective COVID-19 vaccine, conversations began about the need for expansion. In a heightened competitive global market, Australia was chosen for Moderna’s new hub for biotech research and manufacturing.
The facility, currently under construction near Monash University in Clayton, Victoria, will have the capacity to manufacture up to 100 million vaccine doses per year for respiratory viruses such as COVID, influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).
In addition to this manufacturing strength, Moderna agreed to create a new, regional mRNA research centre in Melbourne, to house research into respiratory viruses and tropical diseases across the Asia-Pacific region.
Speaking at the groundbreaking of the new site, Michael Azrak, General Manager, Moderna Australia & New Zealand said: “Australia’s science and R&D ecosystem is world-class, and this is one of the reasons we decided to build our first commercial-scale facility in Australia.”
“We want to support a thriving biotech community where the best and brightest have the opportunity to collaborate and contribute to advancing mRNA science.”
While the announcement was a major coup for the Victorian and Federal governments, Moderna was quick to point out that Australia’s long-standing support and capabilities in early clinical development and clinical trials played a major role in the decision.
“Australia is a great place to do clinical trials because Australian clinicians know how to run trials well,” says Azrak. “Australia provides good infrastructure and facilities, regulatory support, medical expertise and a diverse population for trial recruitment.”
Speaking of the relative ease in running trials in Australia, Azrak noted: “We can collect trial data and get results back to the global study team in a timely way. This is partly due to local expertise. Australia is home to high standard contract research organisations (CROs), universities and teaching hospitals that are well-versed with global requirements.”
“We think Australia has come on in leaps and bounds in terms of skills and opportunities in the biopharma sector. The focus on life sciences has really expanded in Australia over recent years. Coming here and building a manufacturing facility requires a great skills base – and that’s what we get in Australia.”
Through world-leading educational outcomes, government support and incentives for innovation, Australia can and will continue at pace to deliver improved capacities for trials on shore. Through smart, well-prepared campaigns, the potential for support is a matter of how ambitious companies wish to be.
