The MTPConnect Podcast: Recent Episodes
MTPConnect
The MTPConnect Podcast Series connects with the people and the issues behind Australia’s growing medical technologies, biotechnologies and pharmaceuticals sector.
Micro-X's patented X-ray technology is smaller, lighter, faster and more precise than anything the world has seen before, creating new opportunities for industries.
The company, based at the Tonsley Innovation District in Adelaide, has developed a mobile X-ray platform manufactured in Australia and sold around the world.
Now it is using this lightweight tech to create the world's first portable stroke head CT scanner, small enough to fit in an ambulance or retrieval aircraft using precise imaging to diagnose stroke patients before reaching hospital, giving patients access to treatment sooner and increasing their chances of survival.
Micro-X Chief Executive Officer Kingsley Hall and Chief Operating Officer Anthony Skeats join AUScelerate’s Caroline Duell and Dana Bell to discuss the company’s trajectory that led to the development of their life-saving diagnostic platform using unconventional carbon nanotubes.
One of the challenges we face in Australia is getting more homegrown medtech products purchased and used by local hospitals and health services.
AUScelerate’s Pathway to Market – Medtech Capability Uplift Program has been supporting seven market-ready Victorian medtech innovations to position themselves competitively for local health procurement opportunities.
The recent Australian Medtech Manufacturing Alliance (AMMA) Medtech Showcase profiled Victorian-made products and innovations from 21 local manufacturers spanning surgical care and diagnostics to hospital consumables and equipment. From advanced lung imaging, a live patient monitoring system to solve pressure injury to a sophisticated AI screening tool to profile endometriosis, the lineup was impressive.
Companies were given the opportunity to pitch to a room full of health system leaders and procurement specialists, including representatives from HealthShares Victoria, Monash Health and Western Health.
The Showcase highlighted ‘Better Health Made Here’ – and the AUScelerate Podcast was on the ground talking to companies involved about getting procurement ready, including those taking part in the Pathway to Market Program – 4D Medical’s Professor Tim O’Meara, Lenexa Medical’s Ajit Ravindran and Arelis’ Tori Fox - as well as Akeeko Medical’s Professor Joseph Ischia.
The Pathway to Market program is an initiative of the Australian Medtech Manufacturing Alliance (AMMA), delivered by AUScelerate in partnership with BioMelbourne Network and supported by the Victorian Government. Victoria serves as the pilot state for this important, solutions-driven program, setting the foundation to drive a national agenda for medtech innovation and manufacturing, and get other states on board!
Two in three Australians experience sleeping difficulties which can have profound impacts on health and wellbeing, at home and in the workplace.
In this episode dedicated to the Australian Clinical Entrepreneur Program (AUSCEP), we meet Dr Sumedha Verma, a clinical psychologist and sleep expert, and the founder of Deep Sleep Health. It’s a new evidence-based sleep help service that brings together patient care, workforce training, and workplace solutions to reduce insomnia and improve sleep health across clinical, community and corporate settings. Taking a hybrid model of clinician-led support combined with digital programs.
Dr Verma has been taking part in Australian Clinical Entrepreneur Program (AUSCEP) in Victoria while scaling this unique sleep service. She tells us how the program has been fundamental to her growth as a clinician entrepreneur – how meeting like-minded entrepreneurs and receiving mentorships from clinicians and commercial mentors helped her to think bigger and take risks!
AUSCEP’s fourth cohort has been delivered in NSW and Victoria, in partnership with MTPConnect and Australian Society for Medical Entrepreneurship and Innovation (ASME) and supported by LaunchVic and NSW Agency for Clinical Innovation (ACI).
The WA Grant Excellence Service - or WAGES - is a new three-year initiative running in Western Australia (WA), supporting researchers, innovators and start-ups to improve the competitiveness of applications to national grant funding programs. It’s helping to build WA’s health and medical research and innovation capacity and capability, working in conjunction with WA Life Sciences Innovation Hub (WALSIH).
WAGES is delivered by MTPConnect in partnership with WA-based Synergy Health Solutions and supported by the Western Australian Future Health Research and Innovation Fund.
In this episode, we meet the team behind WAGES –MTPConnect’s Dr Tracey Wilkinson (WALSIH), MTPConnect’s Dr Bahareh Badrian (WAGES Head), and Synergy Health Solutions’ Dr Graham Hall.
They discuss the WAGES mission, how the service works and their collaborative workshops to help teams and individuals prepare funding applications. Tune in for insights on pitfalls to avoid, whether to use AI tools, and top tips on pulling together a competitive application to funding bodies.
Visit the WAGES website to find out more and subscribe to receive information of upcoming workshops, direct to your inbox.
It was after an email exchange with Nobel Prize winning scientist Dr Kati Kariko, that Dr Anushi Rajapaska had a lightning moment and decided to back her research innovation – founding Mellbourne-based startup Misti to develop a ‘smart inhaler’ based on acoustofluidics. It’s engineered to deliver a wide range of biomolecules—including mRNA, antibodies, small molecules, and antigens.
It’s a first-in-class solution for both chronic and infectious respiratory conditions using super-sonic sound waves to generate ultra-fine aerosol for lung delivery of respiratory medications. While smart circuitry enables breath-triggered dosing and seamless digital integration.
Anushi joins the podcast to talk about her 15 year innovation journey from PhD findings to setting up a global team connected to San Diego with a Victorian manufacturing base, the benefits of taking part in the JP Morgan Healthcare Week in early 2026 with Global Victoria’s delegation and the connections she has forged.
We also find out about her recent trip to BIO China in Suzhou where she took part in a panel discussion alongside MTPConnect CEO Stuart Dignam about how biotech startups can navigate cross-border collaboration between China and Australia.
View preview of the episode!
If you’re a medtech company looking to take your innovation to the US and want some tips on US regulatory strategy, listen in as this podcast episode is for you.
As part of MTPConnect’s support for the Australian Government’s Industry Growth Program, MTPConnect brought US regulatory expert Jeff Gibbs to Australia for a three-city tour for a seminar and workshop ‘Navigating FDA Pathways for Medical Devices’.
Jeff is a Director at Hyman Phelps and McNamara – the largest law firm specialising in FDA issues, based in Washington DC, and brings his 40 years of expertise working with companies ranging from global manufacturers to start-ups.
Jeff joins the podcast in Melbourne to discuss the device review process, the impact of recent changes at the agency under the new administration, how to get the most from your pre-submission, hot topics like cybersecurity, decision support software, biostatistics and clinical trial design and his top tips for success.
Dr Jordan Nguyen - world-renowned AI and biomedical engineer, inventor, TV documentary presenter and author of A HUMAN'S GUIDE TO THE FUTURE presented a thought-provoking keynote at MTPConnect’s Accelerator Showcase in Melbourne recently.
Jordan joins the MTPConnect podcast to discuss innovations in disability and aged care from his social business Psykinetic, where biomedical technology, AI, extended reality and robotics are applied to create inclusive technologies with positive and life-altering impact. He shares his move from Resmed to set up his inclusive tech company Psykinetic, discusses his innovations including a mind-controlled wheelchair, and the importance of user-centred design.
We also meet Jordan’s companion robot friend, Koobo, created through inspiration from his grandmother’s experience in aged care and his lifelong love of robots.
Check out our preview of the episode.
Are you developing a medical science innovation and need funding for your venture?
MTPConnect and Wholesale Investor are collaborating on a dedicated capital engagement program designed for life science companies looking for private investment.
Wholesale Investor Co-Founder and Managing Director Steve Torso is behind one of the largest capital raising platforms in Australia, and he joins the podcast to talk about how the MTPConnect Investor Ready program can help life science companies develop an investor network, build a skill base in investor communications and avoid some of the pitfalls when engaging with investors.
He covers what to expect at our upcoming inaugural Life Science Investor Day as part of Wholesale Investor’s Emergence 2026 conference, which will bring together ASX-listed innovators, breakthrough private companies, and global investors driving the future of health, diagnostics, and therapeutics.
To find out more about the MTPConnect Investor Ready program and to register your interest, visit our website or contact Steve Torso. There are limited places still available.
Tessara Therapeutics, a pioneering biotech start-up based in Melbourne, has developed a platform which creates 3D human brain models using stem cells.
Its RealBrain technology generates reproducible, scalable micro-tissues that mimic the complexity of the human brain. Ready to accelerate neural drug discovery – without using animal models.
From working with CSIRO’s Kickstart program, receiving a CRC-P grant with Xylo Bio, and the University of Sydney to develop neuroplastogens to research the treatment of addiction disorders and inking a new agreement with Swiss based InSphero, Tessara Therapeutics is helping to unlock human neuroscience.
Joining us on the MTPConnect podcast is Tessara Therapeutics CEO and Managing Director, Dr Christos Papadimitriou to tell us more about their innovation to accelerate neural drug discovery and their plans to take this technology global.
One of the challenges we face in Australia is getting more homegrown medtech products purchased and used by local hospitals and health services.
MTPConnect’s Pathway to Market – Medtech Capability Uplift Program has been supporting ten market-ready Victorian medtech manufacturers to position themselves competitively for local health procurement opportunities.
The recent Australian Medtech Manufacturing Alliance (AMMA) Medtech Showcase profiled Victorian-made products and innovations from 25 local manufacturers spanning surgical care and diagnostics to hospital consumables and equipment. From a new nasal swab designed for children to smart bedding systems for aged care and healthcare sectors, the lineup was impressive.
The Showcase highlighted ‘Better Health Made Here’ – and the MTPConnect Podcast was on the ground talking to companies involved, including those taking part in the Pathway to Market program - Ventora Medical’s Edward Buijs, Rhinomed’s Michael Johnson, Dentalife’s Tom Stray, Sleeptite’s Cameron van den Dungen and Certius Medical’s Tim Stewart - as well as local leaders Care Essentials’ Helen Skazas and Lindo’s Robert Gangi.
The Pathway to Market program is an initiative of the Australian Medtech Manufacturing Alliance (AMMA), delivered by MTPConnect in partnership with BioMelbourne Network and supported by the Victorian Government.
Applications for the 2026 Pathway to Market program will open towards the end of 2025.
Professor Sharath Sriram was recently appointed as the new Chief Scientist of WA, providing independent, expert advice to the WA Government on topics important to the future of science and technology in the State. At our WA Life Sciences Innovation Hub’s Spotlight event he joined MTPConnect’s Dr Tracey Wilkinson for a fireside chat sharing his vision for science and technology in WA, his ambitions for the three years ahead, and insights from his first few months in the role.
Accomplished nanotech researcher and commercialisation champion, Professor Sharath spent 16 years at RMIT University in Melbourne most recently as director of the Discovery to Device manufacturing facility. In the last two years he also co-founded healthtech startups Fragment BioTech and Lubdub AI, and is the current president of the national peak body, Science & Technology Australia.
To mark our 200th episode, we are taking you into Space to discover the benefits of microgravity for health and medical research and its real-world applications. Can we use space technology to advance medical discoveries to improve health here on earth? And should we be doing more to connect our life science sector innovators into Australia’s space research sector?
We meet leading Australian superstars working at the intersection of space and health technologies at MTPConnect SA’s Insights Series event “What’s Your Place in Space’, celebrating Australian Space Week in Adelaide.
Australia’s first astronaut, Katherine Bennell-Pegg, Director of Space Technology at the Australian Space Agency shares her view on why space matters, and the role of astronauts on the International Space Station as scientists in space. She reveals how biotech research in space using microgravity is revolutionising pharmaceutical development and unlocking treatments for cancer here on Earth.
Aerospace medicine specialist Dr Gordon Cable from Human Aerospace, is working on a spacesuit design program, developing compression garments that "trick" the body into thinking gravity exists, with applications for burns, lymphedema and post-surgical recovery.
Dr Richard Harvey from the ARC Centre of Excellence in Plants for Space explains how the international research consortium is engineering smart plants in space labs, that operate as programmable biological factories for biomolecule synthesis, to produce pharmaceuticals, including compounds that protect against radiation and improve cancer therapies.
And Tiffany Sharp from Cambrian Defence and Space discusses launching medical research into space on a rocket in the Arctic circle - looking into the gut microbiome which shows how certain bacteria affecting anxiety and depression decline in microgravity, offering insights for mental health treatments.
As the world’s largest biotech partnering event took place in Boston in June, MTPConnect was there introducing an Australian delegation to the Boston ecosystem, hosting business events to drive international collaborations and leading the Australian Pavilion to highlight Australia's fast-growing life sciences sector to the international biotech industry.
Our CEO Stuart Dignam was on the ground to find out why people are making the trip to BIO and what the buzz is all about.
In this episode, Stuart speaks to Brent Owens, co-founder of Ballarat-based Vitrafy Life Sciences – a company pioneering cryopreservation technology and Brent Barnes, CEO and Manager Director of Adelaide-based Clever Culture Systems - inventor of APAS Independence, an intelligent microbiology culture plate reading technology that is revolutionising pharmaceutical lab work. These Australian start-ups have established a foothold in the US and are looking to expand and navigate the new tariff regime.
Stuart also catches up with Professor Chris Molloy from the UK’s Medicines Discovery Catapult to get his take on BIO and find out more about the BIOBridge initiative and why collaboration is key to solving the world’s health challenges.
For the support and partnership, MTPConnect would like to thank the state governments of NSW, Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia and South Australia, and the Department of Industry, Science and Resources, Austrade, CSIRO and AusBiotech.
And thanks for the industry support from Moderna, Novartis, Australia & New Zealand, Cytiva, Sanofi, Arrotex Pharmaceuticals and Nutromics, and support for MTPConnect’s Australian delegation site visit program from CSL and Global Pharma Solutions.
Queensland Health is one of the largest employers in the state with some 130,000 full-time employees, geographically dispersed with 16 hospitals and health services across the country.
The Office of Research and Innovation (ORI) hosts the ‘Queensland Health Research Excellence Showcase’ to celebrate how translating research into practice is advancing medical research, workforce development and healthcare.
The Showcase’s theme - Fast, Fearless and Future – is a unique opportunity for Queensland Health employees to promote their translation-ready research.
MTPConnect partnered with ORI to deliver a research poster and pitch session for the Showcase – attracting more than 40 entries from across Queensland.
In this episode, we head to Brisbane for the Showcase event to meet some of Queensland Health’s research champions working on major healthcare challenges in mental health, kidney disease, hand therapy, pain education and diabetes-related ulcer care, to find out more about their posters – Dr Mike Trott (University of Queensland), Emma Taylor (STARS Hospital), Hannah Kennedy (Gold Coast Health), Ifeoluwapo Tokun (Townsville Hospital and Health Service) and Margie Conley (Metro South Hospital and Health Service).
And Tammy Sovenyhazi Acting Executive Director, Queensland Health’s Office of Research and Innovation, explains what the Showcase is all about!
NB. Findings from Dr Trott’s research were recently published internationally in a world first in The Lancet Psychiatry journal https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpsy/article/PIIS2215-0366(25)00129-4/abstract
Medical device innovator Laronix aims to give people who have had their larynx removed due to laryngeal cancer, their voice back. And not a robotic voice, but a natural sounding voice for both men and women where even laughing and singing is possible.
The pioneering company has worked with speech pathologists and surgeons around the world to develop the world’s first smart, wearable (non-invasive), electronic voice box - the first new voice technology in forty years! It uses the power of AI and a person’s respiration signals to generate a natural-sounding voice.
In this episode, we meet Laronix co-founder siblings, CEO Dr. Farzaneh Ahmadi and Chief Operating Officer Dr. Mousa Ahmadi, who share their success story, creating a Brisbane-based manufacturing site, expanding to New York, launching their voicing devices in Australia and the US, and changing the lives of those living with a voice disability and giving hope to cancer survivors (half a million people around the world live with this condition).
Tune into hear a Laronix voice in action!
Dr Farzaneh Ahmadi, an expert in artificial voice research, was named as one of Australia’s top 100 Innovators in The Australian in 2024.
In a special series dedicated to the Australian Clinical Entrepreneur Program (AUSCEP) we introduce you to some of the passionate health professionals taking part in this 12-month program to develop their innovative ideas into products and enterprises.
Ibrahim Samaan is a senior physiotherapist and Managing Director of Purifas, an award-winning company developing and manufacturing clinically proven hygienic products for allied healthcare - like its FaceShield - now available in Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Japan and the UK.
The company is now branching out to develop a new innovation - Recyclable Single-use Hospital Bed Linen for hospitals and the aged care sector. Ibrahim shares his company’s journey and how being part of AUSCEP with like-minded innovators was important in nurturing his entrepreneurship and business acumen.
The program’s third cohort has been delivered in NSW and Victoria, in partnership with MTPConnect and Australian Society for Medical Entrepreneurship and Innovation (ASME) and supported by LaunchVic and NSW Agency for Clinical Innovation (ACI). The next 2025/26 cohort is open for Victorian applications until 20 June 2025 – apply at auscep.au.
This episode is hosted by MTPConnect’s Caroline Duell and Elizabeth Stares.
In a special series dedicated to the Australian Clinical Entrepreneur Program (AUSCEP) we introduce you to some of the passionate health professionals taking part in this 12-month program to develop their innovative ideas into products and enterprises.
Dr Monica Hadges is a Clinical Educator and Mental Health Therapist and founder of Mi Team Mental Health. Monica’s digital health innovation, I-CiE Mi Team, is an app for client involved e-collaboration giving consumers and families easy access to participate in clinical review dialogues about their care.
Monica shares her start-up journey which began with the findings of her PhD research, and her innovation is now ready for funding to resource further development. She explains how the regular AUSCEP Pitstop events enabled her to find the time away from her busy practice and build camaraderie with other clinicians ‘seeking solutions’.
The program’s third cohort has been delivered in NSW and Victoria, in partnership with MTPConnect and Australian Society for Medical Entrepreneurship and Innovation (ASME) and supported by LaunchVic and NSW Agency for Clinical Innovation (ACI). The next 2025/26 cohort is open for Victorian applications until 20 June 2025 – apply at auscep.au.
This episode is hosted by MTPConnect’s Caroline Duell and Elizabeth Stares.
In a special series dedicated to the Australian Clinical Entrepreneur Program (AUSCEP) we introduce you to some of the passionate health professionals taking part in this 12-month program to develop their innovative ideas into products and enterprises.
Dr Yagiz Aksoy is a Resident Doctor at Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney and co-founder and Director of EosGene Therapeutics, a startup developing a pioneering light-activated gene therapy for diabetic retinopathy and macular degeneration using proprietary drug delivery technology – removing the need for painful eye injections.
Yagiz explains how taking part in AUSCEP helped him shift from being a clinician researcher to becoming a translational founder, giving him the language and tools to navigate startup strategy. And it gifted him a community of clinicians trying to solve real problems in different ways.
The program’s third cohort has been delivered in NSW and Victoria, in partnership with MTPConnect and Australian Society for Medical Entrepreneurship and Innovation (ASME) and supported by LaunchVic and NSW Agency for Clinical Innovation (ACI). The next 2025/26 cohort is open for Victorian applications until 20 June 2025 – apply at auscep.au.
This episode is hosted by MTPConnect’s Caroline Duell and Elizabeth Stares.
In a special series dedicated to the Australian Clinical Entrepreneur Program (AUSCEP) we introduce you to some of the passionate health professionals taking part in this 12-month program to develop their innovative ideas into products and enterprises.
Elleesha King is a registered nurse and ambulance paramedic, and founder of Pulsatile Innovations, a start-up developing a medical device called Pulse Tile™ to reduce delays to CPR and defibrillation. She takes us on the journey of turning her idea into reality and explains how taking part in AUSCEP and meeting like-minded entrepreneurs has paid off in spades. www.thepulsetile.com
The program’s third cohort has been delivered in NSW and Victoria, in partnership with MTPConnect and Australian Society for Medical Entrepreneurship and Innovation (ASME), and supported by LaunchVic and NSW Agency for Clinical Innovation (ACI). The next 2025/26 cohort is open for Victorian applications until 20 June 2025 – apply at auscep.au
This episode is hosted by MTPConnect’s Caroline Duell and Elizabeth Stares.
From scientific breakthrough to compelling headline - how do medtech and biotech start-ups developing new medical products tell their stories to attract investors, partners and public attention?
Profile Media hosted a development workshop for a group of medtech startups through MTPConnect’s Clinical Translation and Commercialisation Medtech accelerator program…helping innovation companies develop a story that goes beyond complex science and is relatable to mainstream media and investors.
Sue Papadoulis is a journalist and founder of Profile Media and joins the podcast to share some valuable insights on how start-ups can develop a compelling public profile and effectively communicate their innovation journey – taking a medical innovation from unknown to unforgettable.
Jeff Gibbs is a Director at Hyman Phelps and McNamara – the largest law firm specialising in FDA issues, based in Washington DC. With four decades of FDA expertise he delivers crucial insights for medical technology companies aiming to crack the US market. Peaking to the podcast during his national tour for the MTPConnect seminar series, this US-based regulatory veteran shares his strategic tips on the FDA submission process, and discusses the dramatically shifting FDA landscape that could make or break your US market entry strategy.
Whether you're developing breakthrough medical technology or refining existing solutions, this episode delivers essential knowledge for anyone considering the US market. Subscribe to the MTP Connect podcast for more insights that will help your innovation journey from bench to bedside to global markets.
Medical Alley is a powerhouse in global healthcare innovation, connecting startups and Fortune 100 companies to transform healthcare solutions. Headquartered in Minnesota, it’s one of the world’s largest medtech clusters.
At the 2024 MedTech Conference in Canada, MTPConnect and Medical Alley renewed an MOU to strengthen collaboration and support for Australian medtech companies looking to expand internationally.
Now, Medical Alley is launching a game-changing online training program, Medical Alley Academy, designed to help innovators move into the US market - a great opportunity for Australian companies to tap into.
Joining Caroline Duell to talk about this exciting initiative are Medical Alley CEO Roberta (Bobbie) Dresson and MTPConnect CEO Stuart Dignam.
What’s in this episode?
· How Medical Alley is shaping the future of medtech
· The changing trends and challenges in the US medtech ecosystem
· All about Medical Alley’s new online Academy training
· Key opportunities for Australian medtech companies to expand to the U.S.
Tune in for expert insights and actionable advice for taking your medtech innovation global! 🎧✨
Dive into another episode coming to you from MTPConnect’s Development Workshop Series held recently in Sydney for 52 start-up organisations from around Australia. The 2-day program was a terrific opportunity for companies participating in our Accelerator programs to get ‘investor ready’.
Exportia Australia’s Christelle Damiens, an entrepreneur and award-winning author, shared her insights in the workshop “Accessing Global Markets”. Christelle is described as the go-to person for Australian companies looking to expand into the European market and she shared her methodologies, winning strategies and key learnings from more than 20 years of business development in Europe.
Christelle joined host Caroline Duell at the event to discuss the complexities of the European regulatory landscape, some advice on export readiness, and the value of outsourcing sales and marketing to European experts and finding the right distribution partners to help you scale.
This episode is coming to you from MTPConnect’s Development Workshop Series held in Sydney for 52 start-up organisations from around Australia. The 2-day program was a terrific opportunity for companies participating in our Accelerator programs to get ‘investor ready’.
Advisory firm Intrinsika’s workshop, ‘Finding Your Intrinsic Value’, focused on how to reframe a company’s value beyond the financials, by identifying and maximising unique assets and pitching this value to investors.
Intrinsika’s Brett Kensett-Smith and Michael Masterson joined host Caroline Duell at the event to discuss the importance of differentiating your company to capture investor attention and nailing a 30 second pitch. They share their list of intrinsic assets to consider including trade secrets and effective brand building and explain how cleverly navigating the patent landscape can make all the difference to companies looking to scale up.
The Australian Stroke and Heart Research Accelerator, established through MTPConnect’s Targeted Translation Research Accelerator for cardiovascular disease and diabetes on behalf the Medical Research Future Fund, is a research centre with a bold vision to deliver new health outcomes in coronary artery disease, heart failure and stroke.
Through clinical impact and entrepreneurship, an Australian wide network of academics, institutions, and industry partners are driving a high potential research portfolio and an education and training program with a commercialisation focus.
We talk to stroke and heart research experts Professor Geoffrey Donnan AO and Professor Jason Kovacic about the Centre’s groundbreaking work covering various pipeline projects, including BiVACOR’s Total Artificial Heart, advanced tele-robotic thrombectomy technologies and a national research clinical trials register, all aimed at improving health outcomes for Australians.
Joining host Caroline Duell is Lauren Kelly, MTPConnect’s Senior Director, Targeted Translation Research Accelerator (TTRA) for diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
We meet Dr Daniel Timms, the Australian biomechanical engineer behind BiVACOR who has dedicated his life to developing a titanium Total Artificial Heart (TAH) to restore the lives of people with end-stage heart failure, a disease that impacted his own family.
It’s a 25-year quest that has taken him from a PhD at QUT, developing the device with his father in his parent’s kitchen in Queensland, to collaborating with experts around the world and expanding operations to the US on his mission to save lives.
In 2024 Daniel made history in Texas, with the first successful implantation of the titanium heart into a patient awaiting a heart transplant, as part of an FDA feasibility study. Since then, several patients have received the heart as a bridge to a heart transplant and now Australian patients will be involved in clinical studies.
MTPConnect’s Targeted Translation Research Accelerator program for diabetes and cardiovascular disease, an MRFF initiative, has supported BiVACOR ’s development of a more portable external controller to allow for long-term use with the heart.
News of BiVACOR’s innovation has spread around the world as patients have shared their story of second chances after receiving the implant. Now we hear Daniel’s story, how the TAH is designed, his inspiration and approach to innovation, collaborations with NASA and transplant surgeons around the world, his plans to expand operations in Australia and what’s next for the privately held company he has put his heart and soul into as he aims to develop the TAH as a long term device that patients can have for the rest of their lives.
As World Antimicrobial Resistance Awareness Week (WAAW) kicked off around the globe, the Australian Antimicrobial Resistance Network (AAMRNet) was meeting in Canberra to explore how Australia can better support the development of and access to new antimicrobial technologies.
Key clinicians, researchers, industry and government representatives gathered to discuss how a subscription-style funding model for new antimicrobials might be adapted to be fit-for-purpose in Australia.
It’s an idea turned into reality by the UK’s National Health Service (the NHS) after it successfully piloted a world-first subscription reimbursement model, with the goal to improve access to much needed antibiotics, and at the same time incentivize the pharmaceutical industry to develop new antibiotics to tackle superbugs.
David Glover, Assistant Director of Medicines Analysis at NHS England joined the workshop to explain the UK model in detail.
Afterwards he had a chat with Caroline Duell for the MTPConnect Podcast about the impetus for this pioneering approach, why paying manufacturers a fixed fee for antimicrobials can boost drug development and why this UK model, which is now being expanded, benefits governments, companies and patients.
It’s World Antimicrobial Resistance Awareness Week (WAAW) and the theme is "Educate. Advocate. Act now". It’s a yearly global campaign, raising awareness of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and promoting ways to reduce the spread of drug-resistant infections.
To mark the occasion, MTPConnect’s Andrew Bowskill, Co-chair of the Australian Antimicrobial Resistance Network, AAMRNet, and Anne Harris, Managing Director of Pfizer Australia and New Zealand join host Caroline Duell to discuss new approaches to fighting superbugs. Why it needs to be tackled holistically with a ‘One Health’ approach across all sectors, including the environment, animal health and agriculture. They discuss the role of vaccines as the first line of defence, and why a new subscription-style reimbursement model in Australia will help support equitable access to new treatments and restimulate investment in antibiotics R&D to meet future needs. We also find out how the recent upgrade to Pfizer’s manufacturing facility in Melbourne is an important development in the fight against AMR.
As thousands in the medical technology sector headed to Toronto, Canada for The MedTech 2024 Conference, MTPConnect was making sure that the 18 companies and organisations joining the Australian delegation were given opportunities to showcase their capabilities and make valuable US and international connections with a stopover in the medtech hub of Minnesota, before hitting Toronto.
In this podcast special from North America, our MTPConnect CEO Stuart Dignam caught up with Kylle Jordan from Destination Medical Centre at the Mayo Clinic campus in Rochester Minnesota ahead of the Medtech conference to find out more about the 20-year initiative underway to expand the hospital precinct as a global medical care destination.
Then it was on to the three-day MedTech Conference. MTPConnect signed an MoU with Medical Alley and Stuart talks with their new president and CEO Roberta Dressen about working together to foster global partnerships in health technology.
Stuart was on the ground at the Australian Pavilion and caught up with some of Australia’s medtech movers and shakers including iYarn’s Founder and CEO Lockie Cooke, University of Melbourne’s Principal Research Fellow, Optometry and Vision Sciences, A/Prof Lauren Ayton, Materia Health’s Founder, Dr Emily Zhen as well as the delegation’s major supporter, Global Victoria’s Carolin McCaffrey.
The Team Australia delegation was supported by our major sponsor the Victorian Government, through Global Victoria and Invest Victoria, as well as support from NSW Health and AusBiotech.
In July 2024, MTPConnect was selected to deliver a new $28.5 million investment for Drugs and Devices, which builds on the legacy of the inaugural TTRA program.
The objective of TTRA Drugs and Devices is to accelerate development and commercialisation of promising drugs and medical devices into products that can reduce the burden of cardiovascular disease and complications of diabetes for patients, carers, families and community.
TTRA Drugs and Devices is now calling for Expressions of Interest (EOI), to fund eligible Australian start-ups, spin-outs and SMEs to develop innovative preventative, diagnostic, therapeutic and/or disease management drugs and devices for cardiovascular disease and the complications of diabetes (type 1 and type 2). Guidelines & application information can be found on the TTRA webpage. Submissions close at 16:00 AEDT on Monday 4 November 2024.
Hear from MTPConnect's TTRA Team Lauren Kelly, Dr Mana Liao and Dr Erin McAllum as well as experts Kenny Lean from Roche Diagnostics Australia, Dr Perdita Cheshire from CSL and Renza Scibilia from Breakthrough T1D.
See the TTRA Drugs and Devices webpage for more information.
Omico is leading Australia’s largest cancer genomics initiative –giving 23,000 Australians nationwide with advanced or incurable cancers, access to genomic profiling to detect unique genetic variations in their tumours to identify potential matches to new targeted treatments options. It is opening up new treatment pathways, extending lives and attracting more international trials to Australia.
Professor David Thomas,renowned for his groundbreaking work in precision oncology, is the founder and Chief Science and Strategy Officer of Omico - the Australian Genomic Cancer Medicine Centre.
In this episode, host Caroline Duell speaks with Professor Thomas to find out more about his mission to open up new treatment options for all cancer patients using genomics, the impact of pan tumour therapies on our healthcare system, and why we need to change the way we look at cancer care and cure right now before more people die unnecessarily.
Biocom California is the US state’s advocate for the life sciences industry with a network of over 1700 members. With offices located in San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco Bay Area, Sacramento, Washington, D.C, and Tokyo the group is focused on building international collaborations and networks to bring new medicines to patients.
MTPConnect recently signed an MoU with Biocom California during a visit to San Diego for the 2024 BIO Convention to strengthen ties between the US and Australian life sciences sector.
In this episode, MTPConnect CEO Stuart Dignam joins host Caroline Duell to chat with Co-founder, President and CEO of Biocom California, Joe Panetta, about the Biocom California journey that began more than thirty years ago to advocate for the Californian life science sector, one of the leading innovation hubs in the world. Joe shares his top tips for Australian companies looking to move into the US market and talks about Biocom California’s upcoming Global Life Science Partnering and Investor Conference in February 2025 in La Jolla which will provide an important avenue for companies to connect with investors. Australian biotech companies are encouraged to attend this event!
Back in June, MTPConnect led the Australian delegation at BIO 2024 in San Diego organising a range of activities to showcase Australia’s innovative life sciences sector to the international biotech industry. With a powerful #TeamAustralia focus and a 500-strong delegation from Australia, BIO2024 was the biggest and best ever!
In this BIO Bites episode, hosts Caroline Duell and Stuart Dignam catch up with Australian and global companies, entrepreneurs and researchers doing business at BIO and find out what all the buzz is about at the world's largest biotech partnering event.
We take a tour around San Diego’s ecosystem catching up with Rachel Rath from the Blue Knight Initiative at J&J Innovation’s JLABS who are supporting early-stage companies, and Deena Marinucci from US startup Truvian Health who are working with Planet Innovation on a portable blood testing platform. At the Australian Pavilion we chat with University of Adelaide ’s Prof Mark Hutchinson on defence and the SABRE Alliance and find out how statistics and AI are adding value to the life sciences sector with Adelaide Data Science Centre’s Dr Melissa Humphries. Topelia Australia’s David Fox talks about their antiviral therapeutic targeting coronavirus infections, Bridgewest Ventures’ Saum Vahdat explains their investment in drug manufacturing in Australia and Attentive Science Australia’s Holly Stefl discusses their recent expansion into the clinical trial ecosystem in Australia.
Back in June, MTPConnect led the Australian delegation at BIO 2024 in San Diego organising a range of activities to showcase Australia’s innovative life sciences sector to the international biotech industry. With a powerful #TeamAustralia focus and a 500-strong delegation from Australia, BIO2024 was the biggest and best ever!
In this BIO Bites episode, hosts Caroline Duell and Stuart Dignam catch up with Australian and global companies, entrepreneurs and researchers doing business at BIO and find out what all the buzz is about at the world's largest biotech partnering event.
We take you to the Australian Global VIP Networking and Business Reception held on Coronado Island, as special guest John F Crowley, BIO’s President and CEO, welcomes guests in a very inspirational way and Australia’s Minister for Industry and Science the Hon Ed Husic MP who spearheaded the delegation, makes an address to the global audience to raise Australia’s credentials as a global hub for advanced biomanufacturing and clinical trials. We take in a site visit tour around San Diego’s ecosystem and catch up with Illumina’s Dr Emma Ball about the latest in DNA sequencing technologies enabling research discovery and personalized health. And head to the Australian Pavilion to chat to Pending AI’s David Cardoso about their drug discovery platform enabled by artificial intelligence and quantum mechanics, Gelomics’ Christoph Meinert discusses their 3D cell culture technology for animal-free research and Bellberry’s Kylie Sproston discusses the lure of Australia as an attractive destination for clinical trials.
Diabetes affects one in 20 people. An important initiative to set up a ‘virtual’ emergency department designed for people living with diabetes has launched in Melbourne, Victoria during National Diabetes Week, with the aim of preventing unnecessary trips to hospital.
The Victorian Virtual Emergency Department-Diabetes Service will be added to the existing Victorian Virtual Emergency Department (VVED) giving patients 24/7 online video access to emergency nurses and doctors. As a world first, this new model of care will add a roster of diabetes specialists on weekend and evening shifts, when diabetes patients are most likely to present to a hospital emergency department.
Joining the podcast to talk about this new initiative is endocrinologist Professor Elif Ekinci, Director of Diabetes at Austin Health, Head of Department of Medicine at University of Melbourne, and Director of the Australian Centre for Accelerating Diabetes Innovations(ACADI). ACADI was established in 2022 through MRFF funding from the Australian Government’s Targeted Translation Research Accelerator (TTRA) program, delivered by MTPConnect.
Also joining the discussion is Northern Health’s Dr Loren Sher, an emergency specialist who led development of Australia’s first virtual emergency department model, now operating as a Victorian state-wide service. Loren has been instrumental in working with Elif to get the diabetes service up and running.
Hosts are Caroline Duell, MTPConnect’s Director Media and Communications and Lauren Kelly, Senior Director of the TTRA program.
ARM Hub is a technology adoption hub based in Brisbane, with a focus on robotics, AI and design for manufacture for biomedical, energy and defence industries.
The not for profit was recently appointed as one of four AI Adopt Centres by the Government to provide a service for SMEs that demonstrates how data and AI can modernise business, build skills and boost productivity. ARM Hub is also leading the Australian Manufacturing Capability Network (AMCN) as an Industry Partner Organisation for the Industry Growth Program to help participating small and medium businesses bring new products and services to market.
Podcast host Caroline Duell caught up with ARM Hub’s Chief Operating Officer Samuel Jesuadian at BIO 2024 in San Diego, where MTPConnect and ARM Hub unveiled a joint accelerator to help biomedical companies harness the power of data and artificial intelligence (AI).
The Biomedical AI Sprints Accelerator will provide matched funding up to $50,000 to upskill a selected number of high growth companies in the use of AI and data analytics, provide access to affordable data management infrastructure, and create a tech-ready workforce. Find out more about the program and how to apply – EOIs close 30 July 2024.
Visit the ARM Hub website.
The Clinical Translation and Commercialisation Medtech (CTCM) program aims to boost commercialisation of home-grown medical products. It is delivered by MTPConnect on behalf of the Medical Research Future Fund.
WA-based VitalTrace is one of the companies participating in the CTCM program and developing a groundbreaking medical device to revolutionise fetal monitoring during childbirth. The company has set up an Australian-based manufacturing facility, received FDA Breakthrough device designation and will soon start its first clinical trial with mothers and babies.
Joining host Caroline Duell on the podcast is Dr Chuong Phan, VitalTrace’s Manufacturing Lead, to share more about the progress and translation of DelivAssure, a unique biosensor innovation.
This episode comes to you from a special medtech event held in Melbourne and hosted by MTPConnect’s CTCM program and QUT’s The BridgeTech Program. The Design to Manufacturing Tours brought together a number of medtech startups to visit some of Australia’s leading medical manufacturing operations.
Back in 2022, the Government of Western Australia issued a global challenge for a world-leading medical research and innovation solution to resolve a pressing problem of health service delivery in the remote Pilbara region.
Ten projects were selected as finalists and given 12 months proof of concept funding to deliver their solution on the ground in the Pilbara. With the competition ending in October, the best solution will be selected to take home the $5 million prize supported by WA government’s Future Health Research and Innovation Fund, Rio Tinto and BHP.
To give us an update, we catch up with the WA Minister for Medical Research, the Honourable Stephen Dawson MLC and RioTinto’s Dampier Salt General Manager Operations, Laura Thomas.
Joining Caroline Duell on the podcast is co-host Dr Tracey Wilkinson, MTPConnect’s Director of Stakeholder Engagement in WA at the WA Life Sciences Innovation Hub.
To find out more about The Challenge and the ten finalists visit the website.
The Australian Stroke & Heart Research Accelerator (ASHRA) was established in early 2022 as part of the Targeted Translation Research Accelerator – a program delivered by MTPConnect for the Medical Research Future Fund.
This is a research centre with a difference. Lead by Australia’s foremost heart and stroke researchers, ASHRA is aiming to transform the field of cardiovascular and stroke research in Australia by bringing a new sector-wide focus on clinical impact and entrepreneurship.
ASHRA’s Director, Professor Clara Chow in Sydney and ASHRA’s Deputy Director Professor Stephen Nicholls in Melbourne, join host Caroline Duell to discuss why a research accelerator of this kind is needed, how ASHRA’s pioneering model is bringing together a likeminded academic and clinical community to drive change, and how they are collaborating with industry to deliver improved outcomes for Australians.
Professor Clara Chow is a distinguished cardiologist and clinical researcher, Professor of Medicine at the University of Sydney and serves as the Academic Director of the Westmead Applied Research Centre.
Professor Stephen Nicholls is a world-renowned cardiologist, inaugural Director of the Victorian Heart Institute and a Professor of Cardiology at Monash University. He also leads the Victorian Heart Hospital (VHH) - Australia's first dedicated heart hospital.
Radiopharmaceuticals are precision nuclear medicines used for medical imaging and treatment that allow doctors to diagnose and deliver targeted therapies for diseases such as cancer.
A new discussion paper from MTPConnect, ‘From Mines to Medicines. Australia’s Radiopharmaceuticals Future’ reveals how Australia is ready to play a leading role in the rise of the global radiopharmaceutical industry, as advanced therapies drive significant investment and rapid expansion. South Australia is identified as the ideal location to lead the development of Australia’s radiopharmaceuticals future, with end-to-end capabilities – from unique mining assets and a robust research ecosystem through to cutting-edge clinical services and specialised workforce.
In this feature length episode, hosts Caroline Duell and Dana Bell, MTPConnect’s Partnerships Director South Australia, speak to experts in South Australia along the supply chain - from mines to medicines including:
- UniSAs Professor Eva Bezak, Deputy Director of the Australian Research Council’s Industrial Transformation Training Centre (ITTC) for Radiation Innovation (Time code: 10.32) on researching new radiopharmaceuticals and building a highly skilled workforce to scale up,
- SAHMRI’s Chady Barkil, Director, Molecular Imaging and Therapy Research Unit (MITRU) (Time code: 35.43) on manufacturing nuclear medicines and the supply chain challenges,
- EntX's Dr Massey de Los Reyes, Principal Scientist and Facilities Manager, on developing technology to transform mining waste into medical isotope production (at Time code: 57.36),
- Novartis ANZ’s Matt Zeller, Country President (Time code: 1.17.03) on how the company is reimagining cancer care with its precision nuclear medicine pipeline,
- Artesian’s Stephanie Morris, Investment Manager (Time code: 1.36.02) discusses the investment activity and interest in the growing radiopharmaceuticals market and,
- Department for Industry, Innovation and Science’s Dr Judy Halliday, Director Innovation and Entrepreneurship (Time code: 1.48.06) outlines South Australia’s strengths as a first mover to unlock the radiopharmaceutical industry opportunity.
Perth- based biotech Argenica Therapeutics is developing therapies to treat stroke and other neurological conditions. A new neuroprotective peptide treatment is now being tested for ischaemic stroke patients presenting to emergency departments at 10 hospitals around Australia and is expected to improve patient outcomes by protecting the brain tissue from dying until blood flow can be restored.
CEO and Managing Director Dr Liz Dallimore joins hosts Caroline Duell and WA Life Sciences Innovation Hub Director, Dr Tracey Wilkinson, to discuss the company’s journey from research institute spinout, working with the US FDA, the benefits of conducting clinical trials in Australia, the challenges of raising capital, and why she is passionate about representing the biotech sector on various boards.
Innovators have told us that funding is important but difficult to navigate. The Australian Government is committed to investing billions of dollars into medical research and industry growth, cultivating a culture of translation and improving health for all Australians. So MTPConnect’s Adelaide Intermediary Program kicked off its first SA Insights event in 2024 by bringing the Commonwealth funders together to offer invaluable insights, advice, and inspiration to over 200 guests.
This episode takes you to the event at the University of Adelaide, where our host Jo Close, Director for the Adelaide Intermediary Program, chats to six distinguished leaders, each representing national funding programs that drive Australia's healthtech innovations including AusIndustry’s David Luchetti, CRC-P Manager Martin Dent, Medical Research Future Fund’s Tracey Laba, National Reconstruction Fund’s Rebecca Manen, Cooperative Research Australia’s Jane O’Dwyer, and Thomas Ting from Australia’s Economic Accelerator.
Listen in to find out how to align an innovation with the right funding program and pick up some tips for making successful applications.
MTPConnect’s Clinical Translation and Commercialisation Medtech (CTCM) program held its first annual Symposium in Sydney recently, bringing together all 11 companies from around Australia who are recipients of CTCM funding to develop new medical devices to improve health and wellbeing.
In this episode, host Caroline Duell meets some of these Australian trailblazers - Eudaemon Technologies, CathRx, Ventora Medical, LBT Innovations, and 4DMedical, to find out more about their innovations and how the CTCM program is supporting their commercialisation journeys.
You will hear about a next generation hydrogel condom for better contraception and sexual health; a new ablation catheter for treating atrial fibrillation; a contrast-free combined air flow and blood flow 4D lung function scanner; a more accurate airway pressure monitor to detect respiratory distress in newborn babies on breathing support systems; and a compact platform technology to speed up microbiology workflow.
The CTCM program, delivered by MTPConnect, is made possible by the Medical Research Future Fund.
The GSK Australia Graduate Researcher Program (GRP) is a 12-month work placement program for PhD graduates supported by MTPConnect's Researcher Exchange and Development within Industry (REDI) initiative showcasing opportunities in the pharmaceutical industry by providing hands-on experience for postdoctoral biomedical/science researchers.
Since 2021, the GRP program has been opening doors for PhD science graduates and post-doctoral research academics who are interested in pursuing careers in the vaccines and pharmaceutical industry.
As the program draws to a close, we take you to GSK’s Australian headquarters in Abbotsford, to find out more about the career-changing impact of the GSK Graduate Researcher Program (GRP) on the participants and the GSK team.
Hear from MTPConnect’s REDI Director Jarrod Belcher, GSK Medical Manager – Oncology and GRP Lead, Dr Niamh Mangan, GSK Associate Brand Manager Dr Terence Tieu and GRP interns Dr Niloufar Ansari (Medical Affairs Specialty Care – Oncology), and Dr James Cooney (New Products Specialty)
For anyone thinking of moving from research/academia to the pharmaceutical industry this 2-part series is for you. We draw the curtain to find out what sort of career roles are available, discuss career satisfaction and get some tips from those who have made the move.
MTPConnect’s REDI initiative is made possible by the Medical Research Future Fund.
The GSK Australia Graduate Researcher Program (GRP) is a 12-month work placement program for PhD graduates supported by MTPConnect's Researcher Exchange and Development within Industry (REDI) initiative showcasing opportunities in the pharmaceutical industry by providing hands-on experience for postdoctoral biomedical/science researchers.
Since 2021, the GRP program has been opening doors for PhD science graduates and post-doctoral research academics who are interested in pursuing careers in the vaccines and pharmaceutical industry.
As the program draws to a close, we take you to GSK’s Australian headquarters in Abbotsford, to find out more about the career-changing impact of the GSK Graduate Researcher Program (GRP) on the participants and the GSK team.
Hear from GSK Specialty Care Business Unit Director Katrina Vanin, GSK Health Economic Lead Simon Barnfather, GSK Director of Clinical Research Carrie Bloomfield, ViiV Clinical Support Specialist Amy Dearsley, and GSK Australia’s Head of Communications Angela Hill.
For anyone thinking of moving from research/academia to the pharmaceutical industry this 2-part series is for you. We draw the curtain to find out what sort of career roles are available, discuss career satisfaction and get some tips from those who have made the move.
MTPConnect’s REDI initiative is made possible by the Medical Research Future Fund.
As thousands in the medical technology sector headed to Anaheim, California for The MedTech 2023 Conference, MTPConnect was making sure that the 20 companies and organisations joining the Australian delegation were given opportunities to showcase their capabilities and make valuable US and international connections.
In this podcast special from Los Angeles, our CEO Stuart Dignam was with the delegation when he caught up with US medtech movers and shakers to gain some insights into how to crack the world’s largest medical technology market. Tune in to hear from Edwards Lifesciences’ Dr Farzad Azimpour, Scalehealth’s Chris Spearman, BioscienceLA’s Dave Whelan, Peptilogics’ Dr Nick Pachuda and Medical Alley’s Kylle Jordan. Stuart also connected with two Australians now based in the US – BiVACOR’s Founder and CTO Dr Daniel Timms who is developing a total artificial heart at the company’s manufacturing and R&D site in California, and Stryker’s Vice President and General Manager ENT Business Unit, Kate Stewart who is now based in Minnesota. They shared their tips on doing business in the US, leveraging technology and scaling up innovations for global markets.
The Team Australia delegation was backed by Austrade and our partners, Global Victoria, Trade and Investment Queensland, Invest and Trade WA.
Dubbed the superbug pandemic, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has been recognised by the World Health Organization as one of the top 10 public health threats facing humanity.
Effective antibiotics underpin modern medicine and yet, it takes just two to three years for new antimicrobial medicines to become ineffective against superbugs. Worryingly, the innovation pipeline for new antibiotics is stagnating.
An estimated 10 million people globally will die each year by 2050 from infections that can be readily treated today.
To mark this year’s World Antimicrobial Awareness Week, MTPConnect and its Australian Antimicrobial Resistance Network (AAMRNet), has launched the second of its Fighting Superbugs reports, Fighting Superbugs: Ensuring Australia is Ready to Combat the Rise of Drug Resistant Infections, prepared in response to the Australian Parliament’s report, The New Frontier – Delivering better health for all Australians.
The independent report developed by Evohealth presents nine recommendations, urging immediate action to enhance the availability of new antibiotics and equip the Australian healthcare system to fight the superbug pandemic.
Hosts Caroline Duell and MTPConnect’s Andrew Bowskill co-chair of the AAMRNet discuss AMR with two of the reports’ authors - Former Chair of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee Emeritus Professor Lloyd Sansom, a renowned pharmacy academic, policy advisor and researcher and Renae Beardmore, Founder and Managing Director of specialist health advisory firm Evohealth and former Chief Pharmacist for the ACT. You can find the report on MTPConnect’s website.
Many well-known Australian medical innovations have been developed by visionary clinicians – doctors, nurses and allied health professionals – including the cochlear implant and spray on skin.
In this special series we continue to explore how medical entrepreneurship can transform healthcare and meet Associate Professor Fiona Brownfoot, a specialist obstetrician and a clinician-scientist based in Melbourne.
Fiona has co-founded healthtech start-up Kali Healthcare that is developing a new pregnancy monitoring system that consists of a small wearable device and sensor patch that very accurately picks up a baby’s heart rate.
Fiona joins hosts Caroline Duell and Dr Brandon Carp, President and founder of the Australian Society for Medical Entrepreneurship and Innovation (ASME), to discuss her career choices straddling obstetrics and medtech innovation, taking part in the Australian Clinical Entrepreneur Program and ASME to avoid a lonely journey, and her motivation to prevent stillbirths through Kali Healthcare’s life-changing device to keep mothers and babies safe.
Many well-known Australian medical innovations have been developed by visionary clinicians – doctors, nurses and allied health professionals – including the cochlear implant and spray on skin.
In part 1 of this double episode, we explore medical entrepreneurship in Australia with Dr Brandon Carp, a Melbourne-based doctor who changed up his medical career to pursue his entrepreneurial business ideas in healthcare.
Brandon has been involved in the Australian Clinical Entrepreneur Program (AUSCEP) established by MTPConnect’s REDI initiative. He is also behind the recently launched Australian Society for Medical Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Australia’s first home for clinicians wishing to make an impact at scale in healthcare.
He joins host Caroline Duell to discuss his journey to clinical entrepreneurship, the rise of the portfolio career, and why we need to do more to tap into the talent in our medical and healthcare system to strengthen Australia’s innovation capabilities.
As Australia’s life sciences industry accelerator, MTPConnect’s is backing Australian medical devices of the future through the BioMedTech Horizons Program. It’s a $45 million initiative of the Medical Research Future Fund to bring life-saving medical products from an idea to patients.
It’s about nurturing medtech companies through the first valley of death and de-risking product development to increase the appeal to private investment.
The first phase of the program supported 11 companies. And from 2019, a further three rounds awarded $30.3 million in funding to 38 companies.
The good news is these latest projects have again captured the interest of investors, going on to secure at least $479 million of further flow-on and external investment.
With the program wrapping up, we brought these innovators together for the BioMedTech Horizons Finale event in Melbourne and released an Impact report to share their innovation journeys.
In the second of this two-part special, MTPConnect’s Caroline Duell chats to BioMedTech Horizons Director Elizabeth Stares about how the program is designed to tackle challenges in commercialising early-stage innovations.
Caroline also catches up with several awardees to find out more about their innovations, including Brendan Fafiani from Cyban, Matt Boustred from ResusRight, Rachel Stirling from Seer Medical, Professor Mark Kendall from WearOptimo, Dr Kyle Berean from Atmo Biosciences, Ashley Zimpel from Cortical Dynamics, Dr Gautam Balasubramanian from Bionics Institute and John Konstantopoulos from Artrya.
As Australia’s life sciences industry accelerator, MTPConnect’s is backing Australian medical devices of the future through the BioMedTech Horizons Program. It’s a $45 million initiative of the Medical Research Future Fund to bring life-saving medical products from an idea to patients.
It’s about nurturing medtech companies through the first valley of death and de-risking product development to increase the appeal to private investment.
The first phase of the program supported 11 companies. And from 2019, a further three rounds awarded $30.3 million in funding to 38 companies. The good news is these latest projects have again captured the interest of investors, going on to secure at least $479 million of further flow-on and external investment. With the program wrapping up, we brought these innovators together for the BioMedTech Horizons Finale event in Melbourne and released an Impact report to share their innovation journeys.
In this episode, we talk with BMTH program lead, Dr Gerard Gibbs and MTPConnect Chair the Honorable Jaala Pulford about the impacts of the program and the value of catalyst funding.
We also meet some of the awardees for an update on their promising innovations, including Robert Yearsley from ARIA Research, Anshul Dayal from Neuromersiv, Dr William Parr from 3DMorphic, Dr Ash Attia from Bionic Vision Technologies and Dr Cameron Ferris from Inventia.
MTPConnect’s REDI Fellowships are improving engagement between researchers and industry and providing fellows with real-world innovation experiences within commercial industry settings.
The idea of connecting researchers with industry is critical for the growth of Australia’s medical products sector and so far, 49 Fellows have been selected for industry placements, some with multinational companies, spearheading global collaborations and connections.
One of those Fellows is Mark Taylor, Professor of Biomedical Engineering from the Medical Device Research Institute, at Flinders University in Adelaide whose work involves computational-based orthopaedic biomechanics to improve surgical planning and healthcare outcomes.
Mark tells us about his REDI Fellowship with Synopsys Northern Europe, part of US-based Synopsys, a world leader in electronic design software, and how working with the Synopsys Simpleware team increased his skills in orthopaedic production development and software commercialisation, primarily through an in silico clinical trials platform. Find out how the experience has changed his mindset and research focus, and why he believes more research academics need an ‘industry buddy’.
Hosts are Caroline Duell, MTPConnect’s Director Media and Communications and Jo Close, MTPConnect’s Director, Adelaide Intermediary Program.
After the international BIO 2023 convention wrapped up with Team Australia, MTPConnect took a tour of global biopharmaceutical company Sanofi’s mRNA Centre of Excellence located in Greater Boston and learnt more about the company’s plans for the Translational Science Hub being set up in Queensland in partnership with the Queensland Government, Griffith University, the University of Queensland.
We catch up with Sanofi’s Chief Technology Officer and Global Head of Research and Biomarkers at the mRNA Center of Excellence Frank DeRosa, and Sanofi’s Global Head of Vaccine Research and Development Dr Jean-Francois Toussaint.
As part of Sanofi’s global research and development network, the Hub will initially focus on the evaluation of a new generation of mRNA vaccines, the development of a world-first chlamydia vaccine, building Australian biomanufacturing capabilities in Brisbane and connecting into the biomedical ecosystem.
We take you to MTPConnect’s inaugural seminar on 'Australian Women in Life Sciences Leadership - a Global Perspective' held during BIO 2023 in Boston.
Founders, CEOs, board executives and managers gathered to discuss the opportunities and challenges faced by women in the biotech industry in a changing global market.
The seminar, supported by Sanofi, showcased inspiring stories, insights and advice from trailblazing leaders and we caught up with two of the guest speakers, Dr Iris Depaz from Sanofi, and Sibylle Hauser from California Life Sciences, about their career trajectories and what Women’s Leadership means to them.
Back in June, MTPConnect joined the Australian delegation at BIO in Boston and organised several activities to showcase Australia’s fast-growing life sciences sector to the international biotech industry.
With a powerful #TeamAustralia focus and a 430-strong delegation from Australia, BIO2023 was literally the biggest and best to date with over 20,000 attendees from 73 countries.
In part one of this BIO episode, host Caroline Duell heads to the Australian Pavilion at the Boston Convention Centre to catch up with Australian companies, entrepreneurs and researchers looking to do business at BIO and drive collaborations, partnerships and investments.
You will hear from Australia’s Chief Scientist Dr Cathy Foley AO PSM, Deputy Premier of Queensland Hon Steven Miles MP, Dimerix CEO Dr Nina Webster, Garvan Institute’s Dr Deborah Burnet, CSIRO’s Dr Erica Kneipp, St Vincent’s Hospital’s Dr Megan Robertson, Rhythm Biosciences’ Elena Deak, University of SA’s Professor Marnie Hughes-Warrington AO, Phage Australia’s Dr Ruby Lin, Vaxxas’ David L. Hoey, Uniquest’s Dr Tasmin Terry, Uniquest’s Queensland Emory Drug Discovery Initiative Laura Kearney, Bentleys R&D’s Mike Burfield and Clinials’ Maree Beare.
Vexev founders, Dr John Carroll and Dr Eamonn Colley met in Sydney as PhD students interested in fluid dynamics. They have turned their talents to investigate blood flows to try and predict vascular disease.
They have created an ultrasound-powered imaging robot and software platform — to automatically take fast and consistent 3D scans, to supercharge the diagnostic power of vascular clinicians, with the simple push of a button.
The company has secured funding through Blackbird Ventures and are travelling between Australia and the US developing their production prototype and working with dialysis patients and clinicians to refine their technology.
ARIA Research is a Sydney-based start-up developing technologies delivering a sense of vision via sound (echolocation) to people who are blind or have low vision. The company’s defining advantage has been its diverse and inclusive team, which incorporates employees and end users living with blindness into every aspect of the project and organisation.
Their breakthrough bionic vision system was funded initially through MTPConnect’s BioMedTech Horizons program (see podcast episode 124) and now with support from the Clinical Translation and Commercialisation Medtech program, the company is gearing up for a clinical trial.
ARIA Research’s Co-Founder and CEO, Robert Yearsley, Program Director Dr Neesam Jeffers, and Research Coordinator Dr Lil Deverell join the podcast to talk about co-design practices, clinical trial planning, building a new Human Augmentation Laboratory (HAL) which will open soon in Sydney, and offer tips for medtech startups about commercialisation and the benefits of MRFF funding.
Tens of thousands of central venous catheters designed for adult bodies are inserted into the delicate veins of newborns in Australian intensive care settings every year for life-saving care.
But positioning the catheter tip can be challenging and if not done correctly, can lead to dangerous complications for children who are already critically ill.
Navi Medical Technologies is developing the Neonav, an ECG tip location system to help guide clinicians during insertion of a central line, to get it right the first time and then to check it doesn’t move.
Navi’s ‘smart catheter’ was recently granted Breakthrough Device Designation by the FDA in mid-December 2022; and the company was awarded funding in MTPConnect’s Clinical Translation and Commercialisation Medtech Program. And further clinical trials are due to start soon.
Navi’s Co-founders, CEO Alex Newton and Co-CFO Brad Bergmann, join host Caroline Duell to discuss how the idea of neonatologist Dr Christiane Theda has become a reality, the benefits of the FDA’s medical device programs and tips on how to successfully grow a start-up and attract funding support.
ANDHealth specialises in the acceleration of commercialisation of evidence-based digital health technologies through targeted programs and expert support. Their ANDHealth + Program funded by the Australian Government’s Medical Research Future Fund has opened for applications. ANDHealth Co-founder and Chief Product Officer Grace Lethlean explains how thisunique accelerator can be a gamechanger for those SMEs who are selected to share in up to $3.75M of project funding per intake.
Cardihab is a digital health company focused on improving cardiac rehabilitation who was selected to take part in ANDHealth + in 2021. We find out from CEO Helen Souris all about the benefits of securing this funding and commercialisation support and her tips for digital health innovators thinking of applying. Cardihab was also awarded funding through MTPConnect’s Targeted Translation Research Accelerator for Diabetes and Cardiovascular disease to develop their digital health therapeutic for heart failure. ANDHealth is a TTRA partner and has been supporting Cardihab with mentoring and commercialisation advice.
Hosts are Caroline Duell, MTPConnect’s Director Media and Communications and Dr Mana Liao, MTPConnect’s Acting Senior Director, TTRA Program.
Apply for ANDHealth + by 15 June 2023 at the ANDHealth website.
In July 2022, Defence launched the 'Safeguarding Australia through Biotechnology Response and Engagement' (SABRE) Alliance, to bring together biotech capabilities from Australia’s universities, research institutes, SMEs and manufacturers to connect them with the needs of the Defence and national security sectors.
MTPConnect has played a role in establishing the SABRE Alliance and in March 2023, the ‘Advancing the SABRE Alliance’ workshop was held in Canberra, as part of the ‘Science Meets Parliament’ program. Our podcast host Caroline Duell was at the event to find out about the initiative and how the sector can get involved. We hear from SABRE Alliance Co- Chairs, Dr Peter Shoubridge (DSTG) and Professor Mark Hutchinson (STA), who explain the origins and purpose of the SABRE Alliance. SABRE Committee members Sue MacLeman, Professor Emily Hilder (DSTG), Dr Leigh Farrell (DMTC) and Major Ricky Schmidt talk about the importance of industry, science and researchers coming together to solve Defence’s most pressing needs. We also hear from industry and science representatives, UQ’s Professor Trent Munro from Microba, Professor Jia-Yee Lee from the University of Melbourne, Paul Davies from Abbott and Dr Andy Shepherd from CSIRO.
BellaSeno is a clinical-stage medical device company born in Queensland in 2015 and now expanded to Liepzig in Germany. They are developing a next generation fully resorbable breast implant for soft tissue reconstruction, which recently started clinical trials in Australia.
We connect with BellaSeno’s Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer Dr Mohit Chhaya and Chief Medical Officer Dr Tobias Grossner in Germany, to discuss their ground-breaking 3D printing technology that aims to restore breast tissue. In a global collaboration, their team has been working with Queensland’s Herston Biofabrication Institute.
And Brisbane breast surgeon and Director of the Comprehensive Breast Cancer Institute, Professor Owen Ung, shares a clinicians view on the importance of this innovation for patients. Professor Ung is a principal investigator for a trial which began recently in Queensland.
MTPConnect hosts are Caroline Duell, Director Media and Communications and Andrew Bowskill, Director of Stakeholder Engagement for Queensland.
To mark our 150th episode, we are delighted to introduce MTPConnect’s newly appointed Chair, the Honorable Jaala Pulford. A passionate advocate for the medical technology, biotech and pharmaceutical sector, Jaala has a long and distinguished career in government including Minister for Innovation, Medical Research and the Digital Economy.
Jaala chats with host Caroline Duell about her ministerial achievements, how COVID-19 has refocused our efforts on sovereign innovation and manufacturing, and how she hopes to build on MTPConnect’s seven years of success and help more Australian innovative medical products make it to patients.
The Targeted Translation Research Accelerator (TTRA) program, a Medical Research Future Fund initiative delivered by MTPConnect, launched Round 3 of its Research Projects funding opportunity on 30 January 2023 to support diabetes and cardiovascular disease projects that address the unmet health and medical needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in rural, remote, regional, and urban centres.
The translation of knowledge and evidence into practice is challenging, and thoughtful and systematic implementation into healthcare systems and communities is key for new products and innovations to be effective, acceptable and sustainable. In this podcast, you will hear from Professor Gillian Harvey, Strength Lead, Implementation at the Australian Centre for Health Services Innovation (AusHSI) and Professor Ray Mahoney, Professor of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health and Discipline Lead for Population Health, Flinders University and Visiting Scientist, Australian eHealth Research Centre (AeHRC), CSIRO. They explore the general principles of Implementation Science, and what it looks like in practice with examples within Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health research. Applications for the Round 3 funding opportunity close 28 April 2023.
It’s three years ago this month that COVID-19 was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organisation. We’ve seen nearly 800 million confirmed cases around the world and nearly 7 million deaths… and there are signs that another wave is underway in Australia as we head into the colder months. But imagine those numbers if we didn’t have the vaccines – particularly the mRNA vaccines.
In this episode, we meet the Hungarian born, US scientist Dr Katalin Karikó. It’s her research, along with collaborator, Dr Drew Weissman from the University of Pennsylvania, that gave the world the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines.
Dr Karikó is one of the key participants in this year’s ‘Science Meets Parliament’ conference, delivered by Science and Technology Australia (STA).
She is joined by STA’s Chief Executive, Mischa Schubert, for a fireside chat on International Women’s Day.
MTPConnect is again partnering with STA for the ‘Science Meets Parliament’ National Press Club Address later this month, which will be delivered by Industry and Science Minister Ed Husic.
Our Targeted Translation Research Accelerator (TTRA) program, a Medical Research Future Fund initiative delivered by MTPConnect, launched Round 3 of its Research Projects funding opportunity in January 2023 to support diabetes and cardiovascular disease projects that address the unmet health and medical needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in rural, remote, regional, and urban centres.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander research ethics is an important part of research projects that involve Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. During the webinar, you will hear from two speakers with extensive experience in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health research ethics from both an ethics committee and a researcher perspective: Dr Summer May Finlay – Co-Chair of the Aboriginal Health and Medical Research Council of NSW Ethics Committee, and Professor Jenni Judd – Professorial Research Fellow, Central Queensland University. They explore researchers’ ethical obligations, when you need to submit to an Aboriginal Human Research Ethics Committee, and the importance of cultural safety in research design and reciprocity. Applications close 28 April 2023.
We talk to Sydney-based eye surgeon Dr Sarah Crowe, Founder and Director of 4eyesVision who has invented the 4eyesVision Kit to correct refractive error, the leading cause of blindness in the developing world and provide affordable glasses on the spot for people in remote and developing communities. Dr Crowe shares her clinician entrepreneur story that started in the Solomon Islands and progressed with the help of the Kokoda Track Foundation. She took her innovation through the 2020 Australian Technologies Competition winning the Global Social Impact Division, and the Health 10x Accelerator program winning a 2022 UNSW Founders Award. Having dispensed 1,000 pairs of glasses already, Dr Crowe is now focused on securing funding to scale up the organisation and commercialise the kit.
Find out more about her work at https://www.4eyesvision.org/
MTPConnect’s Targeted Translation Research Accelerator (TTRA) program has opened a new funding round to support diabetes and cardiovascular disease research projects that address the unmet health and medical needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in rural, remote, regional, and urban centres.
To develop this Indigenous-specific round, MTPConnect has partnered with the Lowitja Institute to lead the priority setting and ensure the voices of Indigenous communities have been centred in every aspect of the process to determine the health priority areas that will receive research funding.
To find out more about the application process, project eligibility and selection criteria, listen in to this TTRA Information Session to hear from MTPConnect's TTRA team – Dr Mana Liao, Dr Erin McAllum and Dr Andionne Parlade, and Lowitja Institute’s Dr Michelle Kennedy, NACCHO’s Christopher Lee, Diabetes Australia’s Deanne Minniecon and AusHSI’s Megan Campbell. Applications close 28 April 2023.
For this episode we tap into an international perspective on the digital health sector and the business of healthcare.
Lisa Suennen is a US-based entrepreneur and industry advisor. After thirty years in healthcare and seeing little progress in efficiency and optimisation of care, she moved into the digital health space, working as a venture capital investor, speaker and writer.
Lisa visited Australia recently in her role as Chair of ANDHealth’s Digital Health Investment Advisory Committee. ANDHealth is Australia’s leader provider of accelerator, incubator and commercialisation programs helping to scale digital health technology companies. MTPConnect works closely with ANDHealth through the REDI initiative and the TTRA and CTCM programs.
Lisa joins host Caroline Duell to discuss her views on the development of the Digital Health sector, sharing her expertise as both an investor and advisor.
https://venturevalkyrie.com/
Australian company Minomic has developed the MiCheck Prostate blood test that uses an algorithm, together with other biomarkers, to estimate the risk of a patient having aggressive prostate cancer. The diagnostic overcomes the low accuracy of conventional screening tests to reduce unnecessary intervention such as painful biopsies and improve overall management of the patient.
The test was launched in the US in 2022, after Minomic was the first to sign up to the 20/20 GeneSystems’ Clinical Lab Innovation Axcellerator (CLIAx) - providing a ‘soft landing’ to help diagnostic test innovators worldwide to substantially reduce the time and cost of launching their tests in the U.S.
Minomic CEO and Managing Director Dr Brad Walsh joins MTPConnect host Caroline Duell from Sydney to talk about the company’s commercialisation journey and how it launched into the US market after working with urologists around the world during COVID-19. Minomic received funding through Federal Government’s Modern Manufacturing Initiative and is working with Sonic Healthcare to make the test available in Australia.
MTPConnect’s Targeted Translation Research Accelerator (TTRA) program will open Round 3 of its Research Projects funding opportunity in early 2023 to support diabetes and cardiovascular disease projects that address the unmet health and medical needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in rural, remote, regional, and urban centres.
In anticipation of the round, MTPConnect hosted a webinar to highlight key elements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health research to consider when building research projects and teams.
You will hear from three leading Indigenous researchers, all dedicated to ensuring that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health research is conducted by community, for community with a long-lasting impact on health and wellbeing, including Professor Alex Brown, Professor of Indigenous Genomics, The Australian National University and Telethon Kids Institute, Dr Michelle Kennedy, Executive Manager of Research and Knowledge Translation, Lowitja Institute, and Ray Kelly, Accredited Exercise Physiologist/Researcher and creator of ‘Too Deadly for Diabetes’.
It’s World Antimicrobial Awareness Week and this year’s theme is “Preventing Antimicrobial Resistance Together”. We chat to Bugworks, a clinical stage pharmaceutical company, headquartered in the US, with subsidiaries in India and Australia, currently developing novel antibacterials and immunotherapies.
Bugworks’ Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer, Dr Anand Anandkumar, joins the podcast from Bangalore, India to talk about the challenges of developing new antimicrobials, the boost from CARB-X accelerator that is keeping their lights on, and why push and pull incentives are vital for innovation. Dr Anandkumar reveals why the company chose Adelaide in South Australia as the site for the first-in-human Phase 1 clinical trial of one of two antibacterial agents in development. And we pose the question – does Australia need a CARB-X style accelerator to supercharge its efforts to curb AMR?
Joining host Caroline Duell is Andrew Bowskill, MTPConnect’s Director of Stakeholder Engagement for Queensland and co-chair of the Australian Antimicrobial Resistance Network (AAMRNet), established by MTPConnect as Australia’s first multi-stakeholder expert group formed to address the impact of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) on human health. AAMRNet, in conjunction with CSIRO, recently released the ‘Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Impact Report: How big is Australia's AMR threat?, which reviews gaps in our data collection methods to find out how many people are dying from drug-resistant infections in Australia.
MTPConnect hits The MedTech Conference in Boston, USA, leading a delegation of 18 Australian companies to showcase Australia’s outstanding innovative medical technologies and capabilities to the world’s largest medtech market.
With the creation of the unmissable Australian Pavilion exhibit and a top-level visit program of keynotes and networking events, the mission was supported by Austrade and state partners Global Victoria, Invest & Trade Western Australia, NSW Health, Trade and Investment Queensland and the Government of South Australia.
In the second of this two-part special, MTPConnect’s CEO Stuart Dignam chats to Medical Alley Association’s Vice President of Intelligence Frank Jaskulke ahead of signing an MoU. The agreement will build on an already strong relationship and help support Australian medtech companies and start-ups seeking access to the US Market. Stuart also catches up with some Team Australia delegates making connections in Boston, including, CSIRO’s Dr Dharmini Robertson, Singular Health’s Martina Mariano, IDE Group’s Leah Trend, Crow Clinical’s Julie Hicks and Julie Von Grom, WearOptimo’s Nicolas Gikakis, Virtetic’s Dr Ricardo Garcia Rosas, Customa’s Dr Guan Tay, Ferranova’s Stewart Bartlett, Datawre’s Dr Stephanie Chausis and Mobius Medical’ s Stefan Czyniewski.
MTPConnect hits The MedTech Conference in Boston, USA, leading a delegation of 18 Australian companies to showcase Australia’s outstanding innovative medical technologies and capabilities to the world’s largest medtech market.
With the creation of the unmissable Australian Pavilion exhibit and a top-level visit program of keynotes and networking events, the mission was supported by Austrade and state partners Global Victoria, Invest & Trade Western Australia, NSW Health, Trade and Investment Queensland and the Government of South Australia.
In this first episode of our two-part special, MTPConnect CEO Stuart Dignam chats to Rachel Rath, Director of the BARDA Alliance for Johnson & Johnson Innovation after Team Australia toured the JLABS life science and healthcare incubator, the newest in J&Js worldwide stable of facilities. He also catches up with Australian cardiologist, Professor Ian Meredith, Executive Vice President and Global Chief Medical Officer from Boston Scientific, Caroline McCaffrey, Director of Investment & Trade at Global Vic and some Team Australia delegates including, iishield’s Dr Jeremy Kwarcinski, Hydrix’s Peter Lewis, Design and Industry’s Adam Donath, Cortical Dynamics’ Ashley Zimpel and Jay-Nik's Clare Brown.
CSIRO’s year-round Kick-Start program has helped over 200 early-stage start-ups and small businesses pursue R&D activities by providing access to CSIRO research and capability. This includes help with articulating a company’s research question, connecting businesses with relevant CSIRO researchers and fifty per cent matched funding support to improve affordability.
One of the company’s that reached out to CSIRO was WA-based Singular Health - an ASX-listed medical technology company improving patient education & enabling patient-specific surgeries through their innovative technology converting 2D medical images such as CT, MRI and PET scans into 3D/VR scans using artificial intelligence (AI).
Dr Megan Sebben, CSIRO’s Kick-Start Program Manager, joins the podcast to tell us how startups can apply to the program. And Singular Health’s Chief Operating Officer James Hill talks us through the company’s journey using the Kick-Start Program twice, working with CSIRO’s Data61 Team to leverage their expertise on AI, innovate manufacturing processes, and build on their software design.
Also joining host Caroline Duell is Dr Tracey Wilkinson, MTPConnect’s Director of Stakeholder Engagement Western Australia.
Inventia Skin is a Sydney-based start-up on a mission to revolutionise wound repair by developing Ligō, a skin printing robot. It delivers rapid and precise regenerative cellular therapy products directly onto a wound and could help to treat difficult to heal skin burns.
A number of partners - high profile scientists and physicians - are lending their expertise to the project, including world renowned burns surgeon Professor Fiona Wood, and leading bioprinting researcher, Professor Gordon Wallace. The partnership will endeavour to print a patient's own cells, embedded in an optimised matrix material, directly onto a wound site to accelerate and improve healing after skin injury.
The project was awarded $1M through our BioMedTech Horizons program, an initiative of the Medical Research Future Fund.
MTPConnect hosts Caroline Duell and Elizabeth Stares chat to Inventia Life Science’s CEO Dr Julio Ribeiro and CTO Dr Aidan O'Mahony about their expanding company, new manufacturing premises, an upcoming clinical trial in 2023 and nomination for a KUKA Innovation Award 2022.
Back in May 2019, MTPConnect launched the Biomedical Translation Bridge (BTB) program, a $22.3 million initiative of the Medical Research Future Fund, supporting the translation of new therapies, technologies and medical devices through to the proof-of-concept stage. In a first for Australia, it did that by pairing funded projects with industry mentors and commercialisation experts.
Three years on and a COVID-19 pandemic later and the program is now moving to completion. To celebrate this milestone, we brought together the 21 funded projects and our venture and education partners, Biocurate, UniQuest, Medical Device Partnering Program and the Bridge and BridgeTech programs, for the BTB Finale event at Luna Park in Sydney.
In part two of this episode, hosts Caroline Duell and Dr Duncan Macinnis walk the floor catching up with awardees and partners. We hear from Dr Alison Thistlethwaite from Melbourne-based biotech MycRx - developing first-in-class small molecule inhibitors of the Myc oncoprotein as safe and effective treatments for cancer. Dr Jeremy Paull from Melbourne biotech Starpharma talks about how the funding supported the development of their anti-viral nasal spray, Viraleze™ within 12 months which is now registered for sale in more than 30 countries. And venture partners Dr Mark Ashton from Uniquest, the Biocurate team of Linda Peterson, Dr Tifelle Reisinge and Dr Eric Hayes, and BridgeTech’s Professor Lyn Griffiths explains how they bring their expertise in commercialisation to assist BTB projects reach commercialisation stage.
MTPConnect is delivering the MRFF-funded $19.75 million Clinical Translation and Commercialisation Medtech (CTCM) program to support the development of home-grown medical devices. The program has opened its second and final funding round calling for applications from Australian small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) developing medical device projects for human use, the purpose of which is to diagnose, prevent, monitor, treat or alleviate a disease or injury, or modify or monitor anatomy or physiological functions of the body. Funding is offered between $250,000 - $1,500,000, for a maximum of 24 months and applicants will be required to provide a cash co-contribution to be eligible. Applications close on 7 October 2022. This episode takes you to the CTCM Information Session held in Brisbane in August and is a useful resource for applicants. You will hear from MTPConnect's Dr Duncan Macinnis, and the CTCM partners - MTAA's Stuart Anderson, MDPP's Dr Andrew Milligan and Cicada Innovation's Hebbat Mahny - on tips to consider when preparing an application.
Back in May 2019, MTPConnect launched the Biomedical Translation Bridge (BTB) program, a $22.3 million initiative of the Medical Research Future Fund, supporting the translation of new therapies, technologies and medical devices through to the proof-of-concept stage. In a first for Australia, it did that by pairing funded projects with industry mentors and commercialisation experts.
Three years on and a COVID-19 pandemic later and the program is now moving to completion. To celebrate this milestone, we brought together the 21 funded projects and our venture and education partners, Biocurate, UniQuest, Medical Device Partnering Program and the Bridge and BridgeTech programs, for the BTB Finale event at Luna Park in Sydney.
In part one of this episode, hosts Caroline Duell and Dr Duncan Macinnis walk the floor catching up with awardees, guests and partners including MTPConnect Chair Sue MacLeman, NSW Parliamentary Secretary for Science, Innovation and Technology Robyn Preston MP. You will hear from some of the team - Prof Jason Monty, Samantha Bates and Kevin - behind the Medihood McMonty, a patient isolation hood developed to protect healthcare workers from COVID-19 now being used in hospitals in Australia and internationally. The BTB program’s support and funding helped move the medical device from research to market. And Dr Andrew Milligan from the Medical Device Partnering Program explains how they provide expertise and guidance to projects like the Medihood to boost the chances of commercial success.
The Australian Centre for Health Services Innovation (AusHSI) is a leading health services research centre, based at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) within the Faculty of Health. The Centre is working with our Targeted Translation Research Accelerator Program providing support and mentoring to TTRA applicants and awardees with standalone behavioural interventions focused on diabetes and cardiovascular disease (CVD).
Operations Director Megan Campbell joins the podcast to discuss how AusHSI’s research and implementation science is improving health services and patient outcomes. Megan gives an update on ‘Cardiac Month’ held in August highlighting how AusHSI’s Cardiac Health Services is addressing the burden of CVD.
Megan explains how the Centre is supporting LISTEN, a TTRA – funded research project led by Deakin University’s Australian Centre for Behavioural Research in Diabetes, aiming to be the world’s first national helpline providing mental health support via telehealth for adults with diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
MTPConnect’s Dr Mana Liao, Acting Senior Director of the Targeted Translation Research Accelerator Program (TTRA) program discusses the importance of working with AusHSI and flags that the third funding round of TTRA research projects will focus on indigenous communities, once priorities are set with guidance from the Lowitja Institute in a newly announced partnership
Professor Marshall is a celebrated vaccination researcher, who has been named the 2022 South Australia Australian of the Year.
Her work in vaccinology, public health and infectious diseases at the University of Adelaide’s Robinson Research Institute has focused on protecting babies and children from Meningococcal disease.
She led the world’s largest meningococcal B vaccine study in South Australia, B Part of It, to investigate whether the vaccine could not only protect against the disease but also reduce spread, particularly in infants and young people.
Professor Marshall joins us on the podcast to discuss how she got this game-changing meningococcal study off the ground in partnership with GSK Australia and reveals the study’s outcome, which has influenced immunisation programs globally.
She also shares her plans for her new role as the first Clinical Research Director at the Women’s and Children’s Health Network in Adelaide, her work with COVID-19 vaccine roll-outs in SA and nationally, and how she is visiting schools as the recently announced South Australia Australian of the Year to inspire young people to make a difference.
Also joining Caroline Duell on the podcast is Jo Close, MTPConnect’s Director of the Adelaide Intermediary Program which works with Adelaide BioMed City to grow South Australia’s health and medical industry sector.
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has been described as a ‘silent pandemic’, and now takes more lives than malaria and HIV globally, and in Australia, over 1,600 deaths were attributed to AMR in 2019.
CARB-X (Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria Biopharmaceutical Accelerator) is a global non-profit partnership focused on supporting antibacterial research, based at Boston University. On a visit to Australia, CARB-X Chief Scientific Officer Dr Richard Alm (originally from Adelaide) joins the podcast to discuss the threat of antimicrobial resistance, the need to take a ‘village approach’ to develop new life-saving antimicrobial treatments, why it’s time for an AMR accelerator in Australia and tips for Australian start-ups & researchers on applying for future CARB-X funding rounds!
Richard also shares his journey, joining CARB-X following almost 20 years working in drug discovery in the pharmaceutical and biotech industry. Prior to joining industry, as a microbiologist from the University of Adelaide he undertook postdoctoral studies in the AMR area, in Australia and Canada.
Also joining Caroline Duell on the podcast is Andrew Bowskill, MTPConnect’s Director of Stakeholder Engagement Queensland and co-chair of AAMRNet – Australia’s Antimicrobial Resistance Network, a multi-stakeholder expert group formed to address the impact of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) on human health.
As new COVID-19 variants are detected in Australia and a wave of COVID cases spike again, researchers at the University of Sydney have teamed up with an international consortium to develop a low-cost variant proof COVID-19 vaccine with the help of US $19.3 million funding from The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations.
To tell us more about the project, we are joined by Lead Investigator Professor Jamie Triccas from the University of Sydney Institute for Infectious Diseases and the Charles Perkins Centre.
After spending his career researching new vaccines and treatments for tuberculosis, the world’s most deadly infectious disease, Professor Triccas has pivoted his knowledge of the body’s immune responses to new vaccines, to play a part in Australia’s scientific efforts to counter SARS-CoV-2 viruses.
Professor Triccas details the benefits of collaborating with international partners - Bharat Biotech International (India) and ExcellGene SA (Switzerland) and how the vaccine, if successful, could contribute to the long-term control of the virus and pave the way for vaccine development for other pathogens.
Joining us on the podcast is Duncan Macinnis, MTPConnect’s Director of Stakeholder Engagement NSW and ACT.
Heart attack caused by rupture of unstable plaque in the coronary arteries is the number one cause of death worldwide.
Melbourne-based medtech company Nirtek, is using laser technology discovered at the Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, to develop the first intra-coronary guidewire device for the detection of unstable plaque to prevent heart attacks and save lives. Nirtek’s device has been awarded funding through MTPConnect’s Targeted Translation Research Accelerator program for Diabetes & Cardiovascular Disease, made possible by the Medical Research Future Fund.
MTPConnect hosts Caroline Duell and Lauren Kelly, Senior Director of the TTRA Program are joined by Nirtek’s CEO Matthew Hoskin, who shares the challenges of their medtech journey as the company prepares for a capital raise and works towards creating a prototype for clinical trials. Matthew also explains the value of the support provided by the Medical Device Partnering Program (MDPP), a TTRA venture partner, and MDPP’s Olivia White joins the discussion.
As the world’s largest Biotech convention, BIO 2022, gets underway in San Diego California after a 2 year hiatus due to pandemic restrictions, MTPConnect’s team is on the ground promoting Australian companies at the Australian Pavilion (led by AusBIotech) and attending various events and meetings. In this pacey compilation, MTPConnect CEO Stuart Dignam catches up with the Hon. Stephen Dawson MLC, WA’s Minister for Innovation, ICT and Medical Research on the WA Mission to the US. Stuart talks with ARIA Research CEO and Co-founder Robert Yearsley about the opportunities for connecting at BIO 2022 for their medtech venture. Argenica Therapeutics MD and CEO Dr Liz Dallimore from WA highlights opportunities to meet investors and potential partners as the company moves its novel drug candidate, a neuroprotective therapeutic, towards commercialisation. Distinguished Professor Lyn Griffiths from QUT and Director of the Bridge Program, is in San Diego with nine Australian pitch winners from the Bridge Program (which equips researchers and entrepreneurs with the knowledge, skills and networks needed to commercialise new pharmaceuticals) who are visiting multinational pharma companies. And finally, Stuart wraps up with a final word from Australia’s Ambassador to the USA, Hon. Arthur Sinodinos AO, about Australia being open for business and in the sights of US industry.
The last few years have been dominated by the global fight against COVID-19 and research efforts continue in search of new treatments and vaccines to save lives.
Melbourne-based Dimerix Bioscience is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company investigating a new treatment for respiratory complications as a result of COVID 19 – which was selected for inclusion in the global WHO-endorsed clinical study REMAP-CAP investigating community-acquired pneumonia.
Through MTPConnect’s Biomedical Translation Bridge (BTB) Program, Dimerix was awarded $1 million in MRFF-funding for this COVID-19 related project.
MTPConnect host Caroline Duell catches up with Dr Robert Shepherd, Research & Development Director at Dimerix Bioscience to find out more about this potential new treatment, the benefits and challenges of being part of a unique adaptive clinical trial program and how they managed to manufacture doses for the trial during the pandemic. https://dimerix.com/
Uniquest is a Venture Partner in the BTB Program, and Cecile Francis, Uniquest’s BTB Program Project Manager joins the discussion. https://uniquest.com.au/
Around the world, approximately 16,500 people die from sudden cardiac arrest every day due to delayed access to a defibrillator.
We speak with Donovan Casey, co-founder, CEO and Executive chairman of Rapid Response Revival, a Sydney based medical technology startup hoping to improve these odds of survival by developing CellAED - a life-saving portable defibrillator for usein homes, workplaces and community spaces.
Co-hosts Caroline Duell and Dr Duncan Macinnis find out about the ten-year story behind Rapid Response Revival, the challenges of manufacturing medtech in the COVID era and how the product’s registration in Europe and other markets around the world is a promising step. https://rapidresponserevival.com/
Is your startup on a mission to address a major public health challenge? Do you need the know-how, guidance and connections to get investment-ready and rapidly grow?
MTPConnect co-hosts Caroline Duell and Dr Duncan Macinnis, Director Stakeholder Engagement for NSW and ACT, look into the unique Health 10X Accelerator delivered by the George Institute of Global Health and UNSW Founders, which is supported by our REDI initiative. Dina Titkova, the Health 10x program Manager at UNSW Founders, explains how and why companies should apply for the 2022 program by 15 May 2022.
And we meet Sam van Bohemen, co-founder and CEO at Nuroflux, a Sydney-based start- up developing a portable, digital device for continuous monitoring of brain activity to revolutionise stroke patient care. Nuroflux took part in Health 10X, and is about to kick off their pre-seed raise to fund the development of their clinical program for device registration.
https://nuroflux.com/
Applications close 15 May 2022. For more information about Health 10x Accelerator program and to apply: https://unswfounders.com/health10x-accelerator
We speak to Robert Yearsley, CEO and co-founder of ARIA Research, a company developing a new medical device - a non-surgical and non-invasive Electronic Vision Aid in the form of a pair of glasses - which enables blind and vision-impaired people to see through sound.
ARIA has been developed in collaboration with University of Sydney, University of Technology Sydney, Blind Citizens Australia and World Access for the Blind Australia. MTPConnect is supporting ARIA's research to develop a prototype of the glasses for clinical trials through the BioMedtech Horizons program.
Co-hosts Caroline Duell and Dr Gerard Gibbs check in with Robert on ARIA’s progress towards clinical trials and find out why the device could be a game changer for 338 million people worldwide who live with visual impairment. Check out ARIA’s website: https://ariaresearch.com.au/
In the first face-to-face podcast interview since January 2020, we speak with Dr Mat McGann, co-founder and CEO of Health Horizon, a health innovation tracking and discovery platform - making it easy to follow the progress of medical innovations around the world. MTPConnect supported Health Horizon's development through the Growth Centre Project Fund in 2017. Co-hosts Caroline Duell and Elizabeth Stares find out about the company’s commercialisation journey in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic - with 4,000 users tracking 6,000 innovation activities around the world. Check it out at www.thehealthhorizon.com
The podcast was recorded in Canberra where MTPConnect was supporting Science and Technology Australia’s Science Meets Parliament event and the National Press Club Address by Professor Mark Hutchinson.
The show takes a look at how we can take more great Australian science from the lab bench into the boardroom. And create companies, jobs and products. Joining the podcast is Misha Schubert, Chief Executive Officer at Science & Technology Australia and Professor Mark Hutchinson, the new President at Science & Technology Australia. Science & Technology Australia (STA) is Australia’s peak body in science and technology - representing more than 80,000 scientists and technologists. Professor Hutchinson is an entrepreneur, innovator and neuroscientist at the ARC Centre for Excellence in Nanoscale Biophotonics based at the University of Adelaide who recently made an address to the National Press Club on this topic, during STA's Science meets Parliament event (supported by MTPConnect).
The Clinical Translation and Commercialisation - Medtech (CTCM) program, delivered by MTPConnect, is offered under the 2020 Early Stage Translation and Commercialisation Support Grant of the Medical Research Future Fund's Medical Research Commercialisation Initiative. The $19.75 million CTCM program is targeting Australian small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and aims to boost commercialisation of home-grown medical devices.
The CTCM program can provide between $250,000 and $1.5 million to SMEs to support early clinical development of medical devices with commercial potential. The first funding round of our CTCM program is open for applications until 11 March 2022. If you missed the Information Session webinar, listen to it here to see if your company is eligible for funding support.
Hear from MTPConnect's Dr Duncan Macinnis, MTAA's Ian Burgess, MDPP's Dr Andrew Milligan and Cicada Innovation's Dr Dharmica Mistry on applying for funds to develop medical devices.
We get an update on the development of Australia’s world-first Bionic Eye System. Similar to Cochlear’s bionic ear, it involves a visual implant to give functional vision to people who’ve lost their sight due to the genetic condition, Retinitis Pigmentosa.
The consortium behind this innovation, which has just been granted a Breakthrough Device designation from the US FDA, includes Bionic Vision Technologies, the Centre for Eye Research Australia, the Bionics Institute, CSIRO’s Data61 and the University of Melbourne.
Dr Ash Attia, the CEO of Bionic Vision Technologies and Associate Professor Penelope Allen, a Principal Investigator at the Centre for Eye Research Australia join the podcast to discuss the importance of the bionic eye breakthrough.
MTPConnect co-hosts are Caroline Duell and Dr Gerard Gibbs, Senior Director of our BioMedTech Horizons program which is providing $1 million of MRFF funding to support this project.
For our first episode of 2022, we look into a new partnership between Perth-based oligonucleotides manufacturer SynGenis and Sydney-based diagnostic company SpeeDx. WA start-up SynGenis is the brainchild of Professor Rakesh Veedu, a world-renowned oligonucleotide chemical biologist. Sydney-based SpeeDx, led by CEO Colin Denver, is a privately owned company spun out of Johnson and Johnson that develops PCR testing solutions for infectious diseases including COVID-19. In the wake of the pandemic, SpeeDx faced a constrained supply of oligonucleotides which are a critical component of their diagnostic kits. MTPConnect brokered SpeeDx an introduction to SynGenis and the rest is history in the making!
Episode 118. Ancient and New: WA’s Cliniface and Lyfe Languages Improving Indigenous Healthcare Through Technology
The podcast visits Western Australia to find out how new technology like Artificial Intelligence is being used to improve healthcare for Indigenous Australians and those living in remote communities.
Cliniface is delivering the world’s first 3D photo library of Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander peoples, an innovative medical resource that could improve diagnosis of rare and genetic diseases particularly in children.
And Lyfe Languages is translating complex medical terminology into traditional languages to better bridge the language barriers experienced by many Indigenous communities, in Australia and internationally.
Hosts Caroline Duell and Dr Tracey Wilkinson, MTPConnect's Director of Stakeholder Engagement for WA, meet the driving forces behind these projects.
Dr Gareth Baynam is a Clinical Geneticist specialising in rare diseases and Head of the Western Australian Register of Developmental Anomalies. Gareth founded Project Y, Cliniface and Lyfe Languages and is passionate about the use of technology to improve the lives of people with rare diseases and address health inequality. Yarlalu Thomas is a medical student and a Precision Public Health Fellow in Genetic and Rare Diseases who is currently working on the Cliniface project and managing the Lyfe Languages program he co-founded with Gareth. Yarlalu is a Nyangumarta Pitjikarli man from the Pilbara Desert who was recognised as the Young West Australian of the Year in 2020. Both Yaralalu and Gareth are based at the King Edward Memorial Hospital in Subiaco, WA. www.projecty.info
It’s World Antimicrobial Awareness Week and we are shining a light on Australia’s expertise and innovations to fight superbugs.
In this episode, hosts Caroline Duell and Dr Rebecca Tunstall, MTPConnect’s Senior Director of Stakeholder Engagement, catch up with BiomeBank, a company out of South Australia. As Australia's first public stool bank and a microbial therapeutics company, it is pioneering new treatments for debilitating bowel conditions.
Biomebank Chief Executive Officer Thomas Mitchell, who has worked with key microbiome biotech companies in US and UK, discusses microbiome science – a hot spot in biotechnology right now. The Company currently supplies hospitals with FMT (feacal transplants) to treat patients with hard-to-treat gut infection C. difficile, and is involved with clinical trials treating constipation symptoms linked to Parkinson’s Disease.
We cover BiomeBank’s pipeline of second-generation microbial therapies, setting up Australia’s first GMP facility for the manufacturing of microbial therapies and how the company is collaborating with groups around Australia to improve treatments for patients with unmet needs.
It’s World Antimicrobial Awareness Week 2021 and we are shining a light on Australia’s expertise and innovations to fight superbugs.
In this episode we catch up with Recce Pharmaceuticals, a company out of Western Australia that is pioneering the development and commercialisation of a new class of synthetic anti-infectives designed to overcome resistance. Its lead compound is the only synthetic polymer and sepsis drug candidate in development, as listed in the Pew Charitable Trusts Global New Antibiotics in Development Pipeline and has been awarded the US regulator’s Fast Track Designation under the GAIN Act.
Recce Pharmaceuticals’ Chief Executive Officer James Graham, joins the podcast from the United States after attending the World Antimicrobial Resistance Congress in Washington DC.
Joining host Caroline Duell is Andrew Bowskill, MTPConnect’s Director of Stakeholder Engagement for Queensland and the co-chair of AAMRNet, Australia’s first industry led, multi-stakeholder Antimicrobial Resistance Network, established and operated by MTPConnect.
It’s World Antimicrobial Awareness Week and we are shining a light on Australia’s expertise and innovations to fight antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and superbugs.
In this episode, we catch up with LBT Innovations, a groundbreaking South Australian company designing advanced medical technologies that automate culture plate reading and improve medical diagnostic workflows.
Their Chief Executive Officer, Brent Barnes, provides an update on the world-first APAS Independence, their automated plate reading technology now making headway into US and European markets, and a project funded by MTPConnect’s Biomedical Translation Bridge (BTB) program that is developing the use of artificial intelligence to help speed up the detection of antimicrobial resistance, improve antibiotic stewardship and ultimately help patients get the treatment they need.
Joining host Caroline Duell is Andrew Milligan from the Medical Device Partnering Program based in South Australia. MDPP is one of the Venture Partners for the BTB program and Andrew supports BTB awardees, like LBT Innovations with mentoring and project support.
It’s World Antimicrobial Awareness Week 2021 and we are shining a light on Australia’s expertise and innovations to fight antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and superbugs.
Joining our podcast host Caroline Duell is MTPConnect’s Director of Stakeholder Engagement for Queensland Andrew Bowskill, who is the co-chair of AAMRNet, Australia’s first industry led, multi-stakeholder Antimicrobial Resistance Network, established and operated by MTPConnect.
We hear from Dr Mark Blaskovich, Associate Professor, The University of Queensland; Director, Centre for Superbug Solutions at the Institute for Molecular Bioscience (IMB) and co-founder of the Community for Open Antimicrobial Drug Discovery (CO-ADD) at The University of Queensland.
And Dr Alysha Elliott, IMB Research Officer and part of the Cooper Group involved in translation of research for antibacterial drug discovery who leads the CO-ADD microbial team in screening compounds from all over the world to search for the next new antibiotic.
Find out more about CO-ADD's global screening initiative, the challenges of antimicrobial drug discovery, why AMR is a global health threat and how support from CARB-X and other collaborative efforts like the SPARK data sharing initiative is helping to further critical research into finding new antimicrobials, fighting the threat of AMR and the rise of superbugs. This is the first of four episodes specially programmed to coincide with WAAW!
We catch up with medtech start-up Coviu, the company behind a game-changing video telehealth software that is now being used by 65,000+ health professionals in Australia.
Coviu recently took out two awards at the Australian Technologies Competition (ATC), an accelerator program that MTPConnect supports in partnership with the Australian Government’s Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources.
Coviu Global’s Director & CEO Dr Silvia Pfeiffer, a start-up veteran, shares the company's journey starting with the spin out from Data61/CSIRO, scaling up during the COVID-19 pandemic to providing 5.5 million telehealth consultations to date. Dr Pfeiffer also outlines the benefits of participating in an accelerator program for start- ups who are commercialising and growing rapidly. An episode not to be missed!
The Targeted Translation Research Accelerator (TTRA) initiative for diabetes and cardiovascular disease, supported by the Medical Research Future Fund, is providing a new integrated research program to improve the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and management of diabetes and cardiovascular disease (D&CVD) in Australia. The TTRA is calling for Expressions of Interest (EOI) for the second round of the Research Projects opportunity to fund eligible organisations in developing innovative digital health solutions, medical devices, therapeutics and behavioural interventions for D&CVD. This Information Session webinar provides valuable information about the funding application process, priority research areas & includes a Question & Answer segment. Applications close 25 November 2021 (deadline extended)!
Hear from MTPConnect’s team:
Managing Director & CEO - Dr Dan Grant, Senior Director TTRA Program - Lauren Kelly, Director TTRA Program - Dr Mana Liao and Project Manager TTRA Program - Dr Erin McAllum.
You will also hear from our TTRA program partners who will provide mentoring and commercialisation advice to applicants and those receiving funding:
ANDHealth's Chief Product Officer & Co-Founder - Grace Lethlean, MDPP's National Program Manager - Olivia White and UniQuest's Project Manager, TTRA Program - Dr Leigh Ford.
Dr Maheshi Ramasamy is a Principal Investigator at the Oxford Vaccine Group where she leads on adult clinical vaccine trials including the Oxford AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine trials. Dr Ramasamy joins the podcast from the UK to take us through the challenges of developing a successful international clinical trial against the clock during a fast-moving pandemic, her experiences as a clinician scientist working on the frontline in UK COVID hospital wards and the impact of securing approval for the vaccine. MTPConnect co-hosts MD and CEO Dr Dan Grant and COO Stuart Dignam chat to Dr Ramasamy about concerns over vaccine safety, rare adverse events, vaccine hesitancy and fake news. Dr Ramasamy, an Australian Sri Lankan, shares her motivations and research interests. She also explains how her international career pathway – including working at Australia's Ballarat Base Hospital - helped her to pursue this challenge of a lifetime. Dr Ramasamy is also a Consultant Physician at Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, the Deputy Director of the Graduate Entry Medicine course at Oxford and the Florey Lecturer at Oxford’s Magdalen College.
A South Australian start-up biotech company, Sementis Limited, has joined the global quest to develop a second-generation COVID-19 vaccine using their proprietary viral-vector vaccine platform technology, in partnership with the University of South Australia. The vaccine candidate is anticipated to be effective against mutant strains of COVID-19. The team is led by Chief Executive Officer Leanne Hobbs, a seasoned vaccine industry expert who is also an Adjunct Senior Industry Fellow at University of South Australia, and Chief Scientific Officer Professor John Hayball, an immunologist and organic chemist who is Head of the Experimental Therapeutics Laboratory at University of South Australia. Find out more about their plans for clinical trials, large-scale manufacturing in Australia, and the company's collaborations with Australian and international experts. Leanne and John also discuss their different international career journeys, bringing their skills home to Australia, and how those valuable experiences have set them up to now contribute an Australian solution to the global fight against COVID-19.
GSK Australia has developed the GSK Graduate Researcher Program, with support from MTPConnect’s Researcher Exchange and Development within Industry (REDI) initiative. The multinational pharmaceutical company gives PhD postgraduates a 12-month placement assigning them to lead on core projects in areas such as early product development, medical affairs and regulatory affairs. The idea is to build Industry capabilities of Australian researchers and establish their career foundations. MTPConnect hosts Caroline Duell and Jarrod Belcher, Director REDI program, catch up with Abraham Daniel, one of the graduate researchers selected for the first cohort in 2020, and his Manager Dr Lachlan Gray, a Medical Manager at ViiV Healthcare Australia, to find out more about the impact of this exciting program. ViiV Healthcare is an independent global specialist HIV company operating as a joint venture between GSK, Pfizer and Shionogi.
Australian company Synchron has developed a brain chip called the Stentrode that helps people with paralysis communicate by controlling digital devices with their thoughts. The groundbreaking medical device is implanted into the motor cortex without open brain surgery. It has been trialed successfully with several Australian patients and is the first device to be approved by the FDA for a US clinical trial starting later this year. The project is making headlines around the world and is funded through MTPConnect’s BioMedTech Horizons program, an MRFF initiative. We catch up with the founders - Associate Professor Thomas Oxley, Synchron’s Chief Executive Officer, Vascular and Interventional Neurologist at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, and co-head of the Vascular Bionics Laboratory at the University of Melbourne, Australia and Associate Professor Nicholas Opie, Synchron’s Chief Technology Officer and co-head of the Vascular Bionics Laboratory at the University of Melbourne, Australia. www.synchron.com
Australian MedTech startup, Vantari VR, has developed a virtual reality technology-based on flight simulation for medical training. It’s already being used to teach life-saving medical procedures in several Australian hospitals. The technology is so good it’s attracted funding from one of the world’s largest video game developers! Dr Nishanth (Nish) Krishnananthan and Dr Vijay Paul, are clinicians, Co-CEOs and founders of this futuristic health tech which is revolutionising medical education and reducing medical error. We caught up with the duo to find out more about their bid to raise $2 million to support the US scale-up plans, and how demand has taken off for virtual reality training during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Strep A is a highly contagious bacteria responsible for more than half a million deaths every year and is developing resistance to antibiotics. In Australia, diseases caused by Strep A, such as rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease, disproportionately affect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. The good news is an Australian led global initiative supported by the Medical Research Future Fund - the Australian Strep A Vaccine Initiative (ASAVI) - is aiming to free the world of this deadly infection by developing a vaccine. We chat with the co-directors of the initiative - Professor Jonathan Carapetis of the Telethon Kids Institute in Perth and Professor Andrew Steer at Murdoch Children’s Research Institute in Melbourne.
In this episode, we take you to our recent Collaboration and Skills Summit where we brought together a panel of industry experts to share their tips and experiences on how to maximise virtual partnering success at biotech conferences and meetings.
You will hear from Colin Denver, CEO of SpeeDx Pty Ltd, an Australian diagnostics company developing tests for infectious diseases including COVID-19. Colin shares his top tips for raising capital as a small company and doing deals online in the age of COVID-19.
If you are seeking new strategic partnerships for funding or collaboration this episode is packed full of helpful insights.
SpeeDx is supported with funding from MTPConnect’s Biomedical Translation Bridge (BTB) Program.
In this episode, we take you to the launch of our new report into Australia’s Clinical Trials sector held on International Clinical Trials Day in Melbourne. MTPConnect brought together a panel of thought leaders to discuss the importance of clinical trials.
Hear insights from our esteemed panel chaired by Dr Dan Grant, MTPConnect's Managing Director and CEO.
- Carrie Bloomfield, Co-Chair, R&D Taskforce, and Director Clinical Operations GlaxoSmithKline Australia
- Dr Janelle Bowden, Managing Director AccessCR
- Dr Megan Robertson, Group Chief Research Officer @St Vincent’s Health Australia, and Chair AusBiotech Clinical Trial Advisory Group
- Prof John Zalcberg, Head, Cancer Research Program Monash University
- Dr Rebecca Tunstall, Senior Director Stakeholder Engagement MTPConnect
MTPConnect's report 'Australia’s Clinical Trials Sector: Advancing innovative healthcare and powering economic growth' has been developed in partnership with L.E.K Consulting and will provide an essential reference for the sector. Download the report at www.mtpconnect.org.au/reports.
In this episode we take you to our recent Collaboration and Skills Summit where we brought together a panel of industry experts to share their tips and experiences on how to maximise virtual partnering success at biotech conferences and meetings.
You will hear from Dr Nina Webster, the Managing Director & CEO of Dimerix Limited who shares the highs and lows of forming relationships and doing deals online in the age of COVID-19.
If you are seeking new strategic partnerships for funding or collaboration this episode is for you.
This week’s edition of the MTPConnect podcast checks in with the Australian Technology Competition - Australia's national Competition, late-stage accelerator and partnerships program designed to identify and accelerate homegrown scaleups with global potential. Last year, Electrogenics Laboratories won the Australian Technology Company of the Year and also took out the Medtech and Pharma Award, for developing its MOSkin Sensor Technologies, an affordable wireless radiation sensor technology that precisely measures radiation skin doses. Host Shannan Osrin meets their Executive Chairman Kim Lyle who looks back on the impact of the win and the experiences gained, and shares tips on start-up success. Also joining the discussion is Patrick Mooney, Chair of Impact Tech Ventures, the organiser of the Competition. Now in its 11th year, the Competition is supported by the Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources, MTPConnect and other Industry Growth Centres, and industry partners. Entries are now open for the Competition in eleven categories, including the Medtech & Pharma Award, and close on 10 May 2021.
Tune in for part 2 of our 100th episode special, following our chat with Professor Kate Schroder, head of the Inflammasome Laboratory and Director of the Centre for Inflammation and Disease Research at the Institute for Molecular Bioscience (IMB), University of Queensland and Professor Ian Henderson, the Director of IMB. We explore the story behind the milestone research discovery that could lead to a treatment for conditions like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease, Motor Neurone Disease – even asthma. The innovation was developed out of the UQ, in partnership with Trinity College in Dublin. And the start-up company spawned by the research – Inflazome - was recently acquired by Roche in a deal worth around $600 million, making it one of Australia’s largest ever biotech deals. We also explore the broader work of IMB and the international collaborative approach underpinning its research successes.
Happy 100th episode subscribers! We bring you part 1 of a special double episode following our chat with Professor Kate Schroder, head of the Inflammasome Laboratory and Director of the Centre for Inflammation and Disease Research at the Institute for Molecular Bioscience (IMB), University of Queensland and Professor Ian Henderson, the Director of IMB. We explore the story behind the milestone research discovery that could lead to a treatment for conditions like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease, Motor Neurone Disease – even asthma. The innovation was developed out of the UQ, in partnership with Trinity College in Dublin. And the start-up company spawned by the research – Inflazome -- was recently acquired by Roche in a deal worth around $600 million, making it one of Australia’s largest ever biotech deals. We also explore the broader work of IMB and the international collaborative approach underpinning its research successes.
In this week’s episode, we chat to WA-based digital health company Artrya’s Co-Founders - CEO John Konstantopoulos and Chairman John Barrington AM - about developing their heart disease detection application, which uses radiology and Artificial Intelligence to more accurately identify patients at risk of Coronary Artery Disease without invasive surgery in a matter of minutes. The ‘software as a service’ solution will also guide cardiologists to deliver more effective treatment. Artrya received funding through MTPConnect’s BioMedTech Horizons program. After starting up two years ago, Artrya have already received TGA registration and are poised to launch pilot programs in WA medical practices. In this episode they reveal more about their mission to save lives and take their solution around the globe.
For this episode, we take you to our monthly seminar which is hosted by MTPConnect’s Andrew Bowskill and facilitated by Dr Lisette Pregelj (The University of Queensland). We bring together an expert panel to discuss the opportunities and challenges of embracing Australia’s adaptive regulation process when developing digital health technologies. Hear from Tracey Duffy (Therapeutic Goods Administration), Helen Souris (Cardihab), Dr Rob Grenfell (CSIRO) and Bronwyn Le Grice (ANDHealth) about the value of regulatory approval, the pitfalls and plans digital health innovators need to consider and tips for navigating the TGA processes! This is a must listen to episode for all the Australian digital health entrepreneurs preparing to commercialise their product and take it to markets around the world. You can also download our report ‘Adaptive Regulation for Digital Health’ from the MTPConnect website.
For this episode, we explore the Australian Government’s focus on modern manufacturing and Medical Products. The Minister for Industry, Science and Technology, The Hon. Karen Andrews MP recently announced that funding is now available for Medical Products manufacturing under the $1.3 billion Modern Manufacturing Initiative (MMI). The Minister also released the Medical Products road map which will guide government and industry investment under the MMI. To discuss these developments in more detail we are joined by Nick Purtell, General Manager, Industry Engagement Branch, in the Manufacturing Division of the Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources. Nick also provides information on applying for the MMI funding currently available in two streams - Translation and Integration streams. The round closes on 29 March 2021. The MMI presents an opportunity for Australia’s MTP sector to step-up and secure funding to boost our unique manufacturing capabilities.
For this episode, we explore and navigate the development pathway for emerging digital health entrepreneurs with our REDI partner, ANDHealth, Australia’s national digital health initiative. Supported by MTPConnect’s REDI initiative, ANDHealth is providing a range of popular bespoke training programs to build commercialisation capabilities for founders, whether they are medical professionals, software specialists or business owners.
ANDHealth CEO & Managing Director Bronwyn Le Grice is joined by Macuject Founder Dr Devinder Chauhan to chat about the bespoke ANDHealth training programs designed to build commercialisation capabilities for founders in the rapidly growing digital health space. Bronwyn discusses why ANDHealth’s programs address common pitfalls and knowledge gaps that exist for digital health companies. As a retinal ophthalmologist Devinder explains how professional development designed just for digital health entrepreneurs helped him grow from a medical expert to a medical innovator. He shares lessons learned by participating in ANDHealth’s three-week Masterclass Program, and how it’s changed his approach and mindset when seeking investors and managing his company. Macuject’s research, developing a software to help doctors make treatment decisions for macular disease, is supported by MTPConnect’s BioMedTech Horizons program, an initiative of the Medical Research Future Fund.
Melbourne based-Starpharma CEO Dr Jackie Fairley joins the MTPConnect Podcast this week to share the full story behind the fast track development of VIRALEZE™, an antiviral nasal spray for COVID-19 just registered in Europe and soon to be available in the EU and UK to complement vaccines and other preventative measures. Jackie shares how MRFF funding from MTPConnect’s Biomedical Translation Bridge (BTB) Program came through at the right time to support the research and development of the spray against important respiratory viruses. She also outlines Starpharma’s work with global pharmaceutical giants to develop new medical products based on dendrimers that are used to improve pharmaceuticals, to reduce toxicities and enhance their performance.
We’re patching you into our first seminar series webinar for 2021 about the opportunity to access Round 11 of Cooperative Research Centres Projects (CRC-P) Grants which provides funding for short-term industry-led research collaborations. Our guests Martin Dent and Adrian March from the Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources (DISER) and Shay Chalmers from Strategic Engineering Australia share important insights and advice on preparing applications, why collaboration is important, the challenges of advanced manufacturing for medical products and more. Adrian provides an update on the Australian Government’s Modern Manufacturing Strategy and other avenues for funding of manufacturing-related projects, including the Modern Manufacturing Initiative. The session was led by MTPConnect’s Director of Stakeholder Engagement NSW Dr Duncan Macinnis.
In this week’s podcast, we travel to Perth to talk to regenerative medicine company Orthocell about gaining TGA, EU and US FDA approval to market its CelGro collagen membrane for dental and jaw bone surgeries. CelGro is a collagen scaffold that supports tissue reconstruction and repair. Orthocell CEO Paul Anderson discusses the regulatory approach for markets in Australia, Europe and the United States, and the setup of their dedicated and licenced GMP manufacturing facility in Perth. He shares some words of advice for medtech and medical device entrepreneurs too. This is a must-listen to episode for SMEs and start-ups keen to learn more about commercialising regenerative medicines!
This week the podcast travels to the city of Newcastle to find out why a new regional medtech industry network has sprung up in the Hunter Central Coast Region, a location synonymous with coal. Trevor John, Director of Regional Development and Executive Officer and Kate O’Mara, Director Special Projects from the Regional Development Australia Hunter Committee join the podcast team to discuss the companies behind the MedTeCCH network, how COVID-19 prompted a re-think around advanced manufacturing capabilities, and the challenge to create more innovation-driven jobs. To join the network or learn more about medtech capabilities in the region, visit https://www.medtecch.org.au/.
Brisbane-based Ellume Health’s Founder and CEO Dr Sean Parsons joins the MTPConnect podcast this week to share the full story behind developing the first #COVID-19 Home Test to be given FDA Emergency Use Authorisation in the United States. Ellume recently signed a $300 million deal with the US government to supply the over-the-counter diagnostic which uses smart-device connectivity and ramping-up Australian manufacturing will be critical to meeting demand. This is a must-listen episode for medtech innovators keen to understand more about commercialisation success in America. Sean shares his ten-year journey from physician to founder, including tips for fellow entrepreneurs and his views on how to boost sovereign capabilities by growing medical products manufacturing in Australia.
To stimulate collaboration across industry, research and clinical organisations we’re allocating $20 million to support the establishment of two new Research Centres through the Targeted Translation Research Accelerator (TTRA) initiative for diabetes and cardiovascular disease, supported by the Medical Research Future Fund. MTPConnect is calling for Expressions of Interest (EOI) to establish one centre focused on diabetes-associated complications and the other on cardiovascular disease-associated complications and each funded for up to $10 million over four years. The program has the potential to transform diabetes and cardiovascular disease outcomes and reduce the burden of disease on patients, families and the community. This Information Session provides valuable information to those considering submitting an EOI. Dr Dan Grant, MTPConnect Managing Director & CEO discusses the Research Centres opportunity. Lauren Kelly, MTPConnect Senior Director TTRA program and Dr Mana Liao, MTPConnect Director TTRA program outline the priority areas, submission process and provide relevant information about preparing an application. You will also hear from our TTRA Expert Advisory Board Chair Professor Ian Frazer AC FRS who contributes to the question time.
The Targeted Translation Research Accelerator (TTRA) initiative for diabetes and cardiovascular disease, supported by the Medical Research Future Fund, is calling for Expressions of Interest (EOI) for the first round of Research Projects funding. The program is making available $18 million to support translational Research Projects that have the potential to transform diabetes and cardiovascular disease outcomes and reduce the burden of disease on patients, families and the community – with up to $6 million available in this first round. This Information Session provides valuable information to those considering submitting an EOI. Dr Dan Grant, MTPConnect Managing Director & CEO discusses the Research Projects opportunity. Lauren Kelly, MTPConnect Senior Director TTRA program and Dr Mana Liao, MTPConnect Director TTRA program outline the priority areas, submission process and provide relevant information about preparing an application. You will also hear from our TTRA program partners who will be providing mentoring and commercialisation advice to applicants and those receiving funding:
- ANDHealth’s Co-Founder & Chief Product Officer Grace Lethlean
- MDPP’s National Program Manager Olivia White and;
- UniQuest’s Senior Director QEDDI Dr Andrew Harvey
While Australia is getting on top of COVID-19 and Britain begins vaccinating frontline healthcare workers, the virus is still raging in the US, Europe, and many parts of the world. It all underscores the critical importance of ongoing pandemic preparedness – for policy makers, industry and the community. To hear more about Australia’s efforts, we meet Dr Felicia Pradera who leads the DMTC Medical Countermeasures (MCM) program, which involves harnessing Australia’s capabilities to develop leading-edge, advanced technologies and to direct and deploy skills into activities that support Australian defence, health and national security outcomes. Medical Countermeasures include vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics for the protection of military and civilian personnel against Chemical, Biological and Radiological threats, emerging infectious diseases and pandemics. They have just launched the National Health Security Resilience Assessment (open until 31 May 2021) to evaluate Australia’s research, product development and manufacturing capability in six priority areas - MCM, Medical Devices, PPE, Modelling and Simulation, Hazard Management and Sensing Systems. Find out why they need input from the MTP sector to help provide a national picture of Australia’s capability and capacity in the health security ecosystem.
Digital evolution is the central enabling megatrend of the MTP sector. As healthcare incorporates more and more digital solutions, its important to get cybersecurity right. Lives depend on it. So how do we secure the digital safety and security of Australian medical technology and is the sector too complacent? MTPConnect’s Managing Director & CEO Dr Dan Grant tackled that question in his keynote at the Medical Technology Association of Australia (MTAA)’s Cyber Security Forum, in November 2020. MTPConnect was pleased to be a sponsor and support further discussion in this area. Many thanks to the MTAA for championing this issue and thanks to CSIRO’s Director of Health and Biosecurity Dr Rob Grenfell for facilitating the session.
We’re patching you into our November 2020 Seminar Series webinar about how to craft a successful commercialisation funding application. Hear valuable tips from communications specialist and grant writer Rebecca Colless from gemaker, experienced grant assessor Dr Andy Gearing from BioComm Squared and Professor Kevin Pfleger from UWA who shares his academic and commercial experience, highlighting key differences between research and commercialisation applications. MTPConnect’s Dr Dan Grant brings insights from his own research career and administering MTPConnect’s multiple translation funding programs. They explore the steps to developing a well-executed application, share their experiences and reveal why it is so important to get the story right. The session was led by MTPConnect’s Director of Stakeholder Engagement for WA Dr Tracey Wilkinson. This episode will be of interest to researchers, research offices, start-ups & SMEs.
Happy bonus episode listeners! To mark World Antimicrobial Awareness Week, the MTPConnect podcast team caught up with OUTBREAK Managing Director & Co-founder Associate Professor Branwen Morgan from the University of Technology Sydney and Distinguished Professor Antoine van Oijen, who is OUTBREAK’s Deputy Managing Director and Director of Health Programs from the University of Wollongong, to talk about their new economic report on the impact of antimicrobial resistance in Australia released this week which shines a light on the multi-million dollar cost of drug-resistant infections and connects the overuse and misuse of antibiotics to the health and economic impact of a single disease. OUTBREAK is a national consortium whose analysis used big data and Artificial Intelligence to highlight how urinary tract infections (UTIs) are becoming more persistent and harder to treat, resulting in more people being admitted to hospital where they require longer stays and more costly medicines. Each year UTIs alone lead to 2.5 million GP appointments, 100K emergency visits and 75K hospital stays!. OUTBREAK is a member of MTPConnect’s AAMRNet, Australia’s first Antimicrobial Resistance Network launched in October 2020. The report is available to download at OUTBREAK Project’s website: https://outbreakproject.com.au/antimicrobial-resistance-publications/utis-economic-report/. For more information on AMR, follow Twitter for updates at @AAMRNet_ and @OneHealthAU.
For this episode, we’re exploring the incredible benefits that can flow from connecting PhD graduates with industry. By giving researchers real-world experiences in research-intensive organisations, we can drive better commercialisation outcomes.
And it’s exactly what we’re doing as a core component of our ‘Researcher Exchange and Development within Industry’ (REDI) program - in partnership with pharmaceutical company GSK. GSK is one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world researching, developing and manufacturing innovative pharmaceutical medicines, vaccines and consumer healthcare products. The company has operations in Australia which employ 1,500 people in Sydney and Melbourne. GSK Australia has developed a new PhD graduate program to facilitate the cross pollination of scientific, academic research expertise with that of the Pharmaceutical Industry. The MTPConnect podcast team of Caroline Duell and Dr Rebecca Tunstall speak to GSK’s Head of Human Resources - Australia & New Zealand David Fitz-Gerald and GSK’s Director of Regulatory Affairs for Australia and New Zealand Dr Carolyn Tucek-Szabo about the launch of the new GSK PhD Graduate Innovation Program, supported by REDI over the next three years. The 12-month placement program, which builds on GSK’s successful Industry Based Learning program for undergraduate students, is open now for applications and will enable six PhD graduates to join GSK Australia assigning them to lead on core projects in areas such as early product development, medical affairs and regulatory affairs. The company is currently developing novel medicines in immuno-oncology, immuno-inflammatory, HIV, and infectious diseases (including COVID-19 therapy areas) so it’s an exciting time to throw off your lab coat to learn about industry career options. Apply by 2 December at GSK Australia’s website: https://au.gsk.com/en-au/careers/phd-graduates-and-post-doc-researchers/
The Medical Device Partnering Program (MDPP) is an ideas incubator, established in 2008, with the ambitious goal to make Australia the fastest country in the world to take a medical device to market. The program has been connecting with start-ups in Adelaide and now Victoria to develop their cutting-edge medical devices and is now expanding its services nationally across Australia with the support of MTPConnect’s REDI initiative! We hear from MDPP Director Professor Karen Reynolds and Innovations Manager Stephen Blakeney on the workforce skills gap they are seeing in the medical devices sector, their Online Capability Directory that identifies and connects innovative companies working in this space and they share some success stories of startups that have been through the incubator. If you have a problem, an idea for a solution or even a working prototype for a medical device, contact MDPP at https://mdpp.org.au/.
With one in five Australians living with disability, the power of technology is being harnessed to help overcome barriers. In this week’s podcast, the MTPConnect team speak to Remarkable Tech Founder Pete Horsley on supporting Australian disability tech start-ups through an inclusive 16 week accelerator program, set up by the Cerebral Palsy Alliance in NSW with corporate sponsorship and support from industry. The program helps to take ideas to commercial reality, supporting ‘profit for purpose’ businesses in Australia. While this year’s cohort of seven startups has had to adapt to the impact of COVID-19, enthusiasm is high and the accelerator is now seeking applications for its 2021 cohort. One of those company’s is ResusRight who are on a mission to prevent the death and disability of newborn babies who require resuscitation after birth. Co-Founder Matt Boustred joins us to share the journey behind developing a new medical device thirty years in the making, as they seek first round seed funding and work to secure an Australian manufacturing deal. Pretty remarkable stories from these two guests!
Australian Postgraduate Research Intern (APR.Intern) connects PhD students with industry, from incubators to multinationals, through short-term internships. These opportunities empower students to thrive in a practical research environment and for businesses to innovate and be future-ready. Their program also links businesses to fresh ideas and provides pathways for universities to expand research collaborations with industry. MTPConnect’s REDI initiative is providing funding for APR.Intern’s established Industry Placement program to increase workforce capabilities and strengthen research translation within Australia’s MedTech, biotech and pharma (MTP) sector. It’s providing a subsidy to 20 MTP sector businesses to take on a PhD student through a short-term research placement until the end of 2020. The upside is enabling innovative businesses to engage with Australia’s brightest emerging research talent. For universities, the placements support the development of an industry-ready Ph.D. workforce. More information can be found at: https://aprintern.org.au/business-info/costs-rebates/partnerships-mtpconnect/
The MedTech Actuator connects Australia’s broad ecosystem to empower founders to build the next wave of global MedTech, HealthTech and BioTech success stories. In 2020, the MedTech Actuator joined MTPConnect as a REDI partner to expand the focus of its medtech programs into BioTech, pharma and health and well-being. MedTech Actuator CEO Dr Buzz Palmer and CSO Dr Vishaal Kishore joined the podcast this week to discuss the success of its pre-seed to series A 2020 accelerator program that provided Entrepreneur-in-Residence sessions at universities, hospitals and research institutes, all delivered virtually due to COVID-19 restrictions. 15 start-ups have begun the fifth cohort of the program, which commenced in July 2020. The MedTech Actuator team also spoke of helping start-ups face the fear of failure out of start-ups and what they could learn from it, and the importance of encouraging the entrepreneurial spirit in younger Australians, particularly students. The MedTech Actuator Origin (formerly MedTech’s Got Talent), is an early-stage pitch competition for medtech, healthtech and biotech entrepreneurs . Applications for the industry-led bootcamp opened 16 November 2020. More information at: https://medtechactuator.com/origin/
The Bridge and BridgeTech Programs, facilitated by QUT on behalf of a consortium of key industry partners and institutes, are nation-wide professional development programs, focussing on training Australia’s next generation of researchers and life sciences entrepreneurs by developing their commercialisation skills and industry networks. The Bridge and BridgeTech programs are partners of MTPConnect’s REDI Program, an initiative to improve workforce skills across Australia. Joining the podcast this week, is Director of the Programs, Professor Lyn Griffiths and the Program Manager Joel Spotswood, who discuss how the initiative has expanded to include the new Bridge and BridgeTech REDI Program offering 20 funded, competitive industry fellowships annually for Bridge and BridgeTech participants, alumni and selected associated participants over the next four years. Successful applicants receive a $10,000 Fellowship to fund their industry placement to be undertaken for a minimum of 3-6 weeks. Researchers are given a new opportunity to immerse themselves in industry, make professional connections and consider the translation and commercialisation of research. With the impact of COVID-19 being felt across the university sector and research labs across Australia, the REDI Industry Fellowships can provide a bridge to the medtech and pharma industry for our best and brightest scientists. More information, go to https://research.qut.edu.au/redi-program/.
To mark our involvement in the Virtual Medtech Conference 2020 in Toronto, we hosted a special webinar with Austrade, for US and Canadian medical device companies who may benefit from running clinical trials in Australia. The session explored ‘Australia as a medical device trial destination: Maintain momentum in your clinical development program’, and focused on first-in-human / early phase cardiovascular medical device trials. Discussions cover the clinical trials landscape in Australia and the impact of COVID-19 on maintaining research momentum, the opportunities for international collaboration and a German company’s firsthand experience as a multinational medical device company running clinical trial programs in Australia.
A special thanks to our stellar panel:
- Hon. Peter McGauran – Australia’s Consul General and Senior Trade & Investment Commissioner, Austrade Houston
- Dr Dan Grant – Managing Director & CEO MTPConnect
- Prof John Kovacic – Executive Director Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute
- Prof Gemma Figtree – President Australian Cardiovascular Alliance
- Mr Falko Thiele – Director Clinical & Regulatory Affairs BIOTRONIK Australia (HQ Germany)
We’re patching you in to the September webinar in our 2020 Seminar Series to explore the challenges and issues specific to developing diagnostics in the Australian and global market, compared to drugs and devices.
Infectious diseases physician, Dr Jack Richards from Australian biotech ZiP Diagnostics whose team is developing and manufacturing infectious diseases diagnostics in Melbourne, shares his experiences and reveals the impact COVID-19 is having on the diagnostics sector. Dr Sarah Hennebry from FPA Patent Attorneys in Melbourne explores intellectual property issues specific to diagnostics. Fund raising is covered by Dr John Westwater from OneVentures in Sydney. The session was led by MTPConnect’s Director Stakeholder Engagement NSW Dr Duncan Macinnis.
MTPConnect recently held a virtual industry roundtable to launch the formation of Australia’s first Antimicrobial Resistance Network – the AAMRNet, and released a new report, ‘Fighting Superbugs: A Report on the Inaugural Meeting of Australia’s Antimicrobial Resistance Stakeholders’, prepared by MTPConnect in partnership with Biointelect.
Collaboration is the key to success and the AAMRNet aims to provide a unified voice to support and promote Australia’s role in the global fight against the growing threat of drug resistant infections. MTPConnect’s Managing Director and CEO, Dr Dan Grant officially launched the initiative, followed by a discussion with AAMRNet’s Steering Committee members facilitated by Jenny Herz, Biointelect Managing Director.
Panellists included:
- Elizabeth de Somer - CEO, Medicines Australia
- Professor David Paterson - Director UQ Centre for Clinical Research, Faculty of Medicine at University of Queensland
- Paul Field - Australian Representative, Global Antibiotic Research and Development Partnership (GARDP) and Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND)
- Julie Philips - Managing Director, Opal Biosciences and MTPConnect Director.
To find out more or to join the AAMRNet, contact MTPConnect.
What happens when you are tasked to setup a virtual care model to meet the demand for growth in hospital services, and just as operations are launched, a pandemic emerges? The team at Sydney Local Health District – General Manager Miranda Shaw and Chief Information Officer Richard Taggart - are on the team that developed New South Wales’ first virtual hospital - RPA Virtual - which has treated more than 3,500 patients at home, by managing their care through an online healthcare model. And feedback from patients of all ages is really positive. The conversation covers the upside of a virtual healthcare model, how it can be applied and adapted for different patient groups, and what was involved in pivoting care for patients in COVID-related hotel quarantine. With the model reliant on the use of medical technology including wearables, devices, smart phones electronic medical records, there is more room for Australian digital health innovation. And it’s prompting healthcare professionals to embrace new workplace skills through technology training. Join us to see how ‘disruptive ideas’ are revolutionising patient care!
In this episode, we catch up with one of our REDI partners, the George Institute for Global Health, an independent medical research institute based in Sydney. We discuss their Health10x Accelerator program and the opportunities it’s creating for Australian start-ups and entrepreneurs to deliver successful commercial ventures with maximum social impact. Dr Parisa Glass, the Director of Innovation and Enterprise at The George Institute for Global Health and a Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Medicine at UNSW, is joined by Vesna Todorovski, the Program Manager for the George’s Genovate initiative, to explain why Health10 X is an ‘Accelerator with a difference’. Health10x has a particular focus on innovations that address major health challenges in emerging and underserved markets, particularly the burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), like cancer, diabetes and chronic respiratory illness - leading causes of death and disability worldwide. They reveal some of the promising startups going through the program now, in partnership with UNSW’s Founders program. Listen for a really insightful discussion about driving entrepreneurship and innovation in healthcare.
In this episode, we bring you the keynote presentation from MTPConnect Managing Director & CEO Dr Dan Grant at Innovate Health 2020.
Recent research released by MTPConnect reveals the COVID-19 health crisis has had a significant impact across the Australian MTP sector, with hits to company values, the shutdown of critical clinical trials and research labs, and the drying-up of much needed capital to sustain research and development projects. Simultaneously the sector has been fast-tracking vaccine, diagnostic, device and therapeutic research to fight COVID-19 and securing vital medical supplies to help save lives. Dr Dan Grant shines the spotlight on the role innovation will play in the sector’s recovery and the potential for digital health to drive renewed growth of the sector over the next six to twelve months. Dr Grant also chats with the Innovate Health Conference Chair Tam Ngyuen from St Vincent’s Melbourne.
MTPConnect sponsored Innovate Health 2020, which this year focused on ‘encouraging engagement, navigating commercialisation and accelerating growth and uptake of digital health innovation in Australia’.
We’re patching you in to the August webinar on our 2020 Seminar Series. Hear from Dr Manuel Zander from AusIndustry in Queensland, Sue Mundy from the Australian Taxation Office in Adelaide and Dave Sammut from Access RnD Tax Solutions in Sydney, as they discuss how the R&D Tax Incentive can benefit your business, the importance of record keeping and where to find information on how to commence R&D activities in Australia. The session was led by MTPConnect’s Director Stakeholder Engagement Queensland Andrew Bowskill.
The MTPConnect podcast team – Caroline Duell and Dr Dan Grant – explore how MTPConnect’s REDI initiative is supporting the Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre (VCCC) to extend the pilot of its successful SKILLED clinical trial internships program. The VCCC’s Executive Director Professor Grant McArthur and the Head, Education and Training Development Michelle Barrett join us to discuss how SKILLED internships provide a pathway for scientists to build role-specific clinical trial knowledge, experience and skills in a clinical trials unit through theoretical and on-the-job training. The pace of cancer research is driving up the demand for highly skilled Clinical Trial Assistants & Study Co-ords, creating employment and career opportunities.
The internships run for 40 weeks with VCCC alliance partners and collaborators in metro and regional locations across Victoria in a model that has attracted international interest. The SKILLED Internship Program has continued to operate in the COVID-19 environment, and pivoting to teletrials is providing interns with new skills. Developing a highly trained cancer care workforce is critical to meet the field's future demands as we advance cancer research and patient care.
This week, we speak to vaccine development expert Professor Nikolai Petrovsky from South Australia. He is the Director of Endocrinology at Flinders Medical Centre, a Professor in the School of Medicine at Flinders University and the founder of Vaxine Pty Ltd, an Adelaide-based biotechnology company specialising in pandemic vaccine design. Professor Petrovsky joins the MTPConnect podcast to update us on his promising vaccine candidate - COVAX-19, with a recombinant spike protein approach, that has recently successfully completed Phase 1 trials at Royal Adelaide Hospital. It’s a thought provoking discussion covering vaccine development, funding, access issues and manufacturing capabilities, future pandemic preparedness and what we can learn from past outbreaks to protect us against other threats like MERS-CoV. He also reveals how the vaccine mapping project funded by MTPConnect as a part of the Industry Growth Centre Project Fund Program helped accelerate their current COVAX-19 research program. Listen for a fascinating chat.
In this week’s episode, the MTPConnect podcast team follow the trailblazing journey of a regional founder in Australia. We speak to Anna Barwick, a Clinical Pharmacist and researcher, at the University of New England (UNE) in Armidale, NSW who is lecturing to the next generation of pharmacists, podcasting a show ‘Indispensable’ for Australians who want to know how to use their medications effectively and improve their health with tips from expert pharmacists, and running a family farm. Anna is just about to launch her new digital health business called PharmOnline, which will provide telehealth consultations [via an App] for patients to access pharmacists to get answers in real-time about their medications, instead of turning to ‘Dr Google’. The idea is to use technology to provide a virtual advisory service in community pharmacy to improve the lives of people living remotely. PharmOnline was also one of 12 digital health start-up companies accepted in to ANDHealth’s BRIGHT Workshop NSW held virtually in July which supports founders. We also hear from Dr Lou Conway, who connected with Anna at the beginning of her founder’s journey, as the Director of the UNE’s Smart Region Incubator, a place where new founders can find support and mentorship to kickstart their business ideas. Some of the programs offered at UNE start linking with innovators as young as 15 years of age. Lou discusses the value of involving research practitioners from rural areas, and how important it is to be part of a larger community focused on innovation and creativity.
We’re patching you in to our latest webinar in the 2020 Seminar Series. Hear from A/Prof Jacqueline Alderson from UWA in Perth, Rick Wingfield from Catapult Sports in Melbourne, Dr Lee Walsh from Platypus Technical in Canberra and Dr Dan Grant from MTPConnect in Melbourne, as they discuss this emerging Knowledge Priority - biomechanics & human movement - and the growth of digital technologies creating a revolution in the field of sports science and biomechanics that could impact wellbeing, physical performance and healthy ageing. The panel discuss the latest developments in wearable sensors, data analytics and the ‘cool tech’ that is being trialled and tested in Australia in high performance sporting codes like motorsport, soccer, football and rugby. The challenges of validation and regulatory approvals were covered. There are also some interesting career opportunities opening up in sports science for engineers, data and computer scientists. The session was led by MTPConnect’s Director Stakeholder Engagement WA Dr Kate Brooks.
In this week’s edition, we profile South Australia’s Chief Scientist, Professor Caroline McMillen who was recently honoured with an Order of Australia for her contribution to medical science, tertiary education, to the South Australian community and to social equity. The MTPConnect podcast team – Caroline Duell, Dr Dan Grant and Dr Rebecca Tunstall – follow her fascinating career journey from Northern Ireland via UK to Australia, as she moved from the medical profession to the university sector engaging with industry and amplifying STEMM research in education. Now she is helping to drive emerging opportunities in science and research coming out of SA, which she describes as the ‘State of science’. Her story will inspire others to explore the unknown and unleash their bright talent.
The team at the Australian Technology of Science and Engineering, otherwise known as ATSE, joined the MTPConnect podcast to chat about the success of the one-year Industry Mentoring Network in STEM (IMNIS) program. It began as a pilot in 2015, funded by MTPConnect, and now has an extensive alumni group of over 900 members and over 500 leaders involved in mentoring Australia’s talented PhD students.
The Academy’s CEO Kylie Walker and IMNIS program Executive Director Dr Marguerite Evans-Galea discuss their recent alumni survey results and their involvement with MTPConnect’s new REDI initiative which will enable them to expand the program to international mentors and broaden mentoring to include emerging areas like digital health, regenerative medicine, cell and gene therapies and more.
Maggie and Kylie explain how PhD students can join the IMNIS program and find a mentor to help expand their career horizons, and also encourage those who want to be mentors to get in touch. The IMNIS program is all about connecting to a larger network and paying it forward.
ATSE applies science, technology and engineering expertise to solve the big issues facing our nation in a fast-changing world, and Kylie also touches on the challenges and opportunities that COVID19 has posed for ATSE and its members.
Since ANDHealth’s inception in 2017, they have been working to elevate Australia’s emerging digital health sector and support start-ups and companies to progress and find investment. The organisation’s Managing Director, CEO & Founder Bronwyn Le Grice chats to the MTPConnect podcast team – Caroline Duell and Dr Dan Grant – about their new report, ‘Digital Health: The Sleeping Giant of Australia’s Health Technology Industry.’ It’s packed with data and information they’ve collected from the Australian digital health sector since 2017 and is the first to comprehensively demonstrate the global potential of digital health innovations to support Australia’s healthcare system and economy. Bronwyn also explains the opportunities that COVID-19 has opened up for the digital health sector.
We’re patching you in to our 2020 Seminar Series via our latest webinar. Hear from Boston-based CIMIT Chief Operating Officer Dr John Collins, Health Horizon Co-Founder & CEO Marcus Dawe and OncoRes Medical MD & CEO Dr Kath Giles to discuss how to best to navigate the pathways to commercialising health innovations. The team guided by our Senior Director Stakeholder Engagement Dr Rebecca Tunstall as MC, along with MTPConnect’s MD & CEO Dr Dan Grant, heard about the journey of OncoRes Medical developing introperative imaging technology to improve accuracy of breast cancer surgery. CIMIT’s GAITS model was showcased as a tool to help innovators map their commercialisation process to get their solutions to patients faster. And one of Australia’s latest health innovations, the Health Horizon platform, revealed how it keeps track of health innovations around the world for innovators, funders and the public so everyone can follow the progress of medical breakthroughs.
This week we bring our virtual podcast studio to WA, where our hosts Shannan Osrin and Dr Kate Brooks, check in with University of Western Australia Associate Professor Jacqueline Alderson to discuss how sports science is improving athletes performance. Jacqueline, a leading sports scientist, explains her digital twin model that uses machine learning and Artificial Intelligence to enable researchers to perform real-time monitoring of a person’s health data and test scenarios on the data collected. We also chat to her about her involvement with major sporting teams like the Australian women’s hockey team, the Hockeyroos. She also talks about the career satisfaction gained from mentoring her PhD students from their studies into industry jobs, in Australia and beyond.
How is Australia progressing in the race to develop a COVID-19 vaccine? The MTPConnect podcast checked in with University of Queensland’s Dr Keith Chappell and Professor Trent Munro, who are leading a research team using their patented molecular clamp technology to create a vaccine in record time. The UQ team, which includes Professor Paul Young, is the only Australian organisation backed by the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) and who along with Australian biotech giant CSL recently signed a deal to develop and manufacture the candidate. We first spoke to Trent on the podcast back in February 2020, when the new coronavirus was just emerging in Australia and before the WHO global pandemic declaration. Now, just four months later, COVID-19 has spread around the world, with more than 8 million cases and close to half a million people dying. Already, their vaccine is moving into human clinical trials, and if successful, the vaccine could be available in 2021. Keith and Trent discuss their extraordinary quest, and the importance of collaboration, funding and teamwork.
We are constantly finding new ways to use technology to address major healthcare challenges facing the world. In this episode, we spotlight the research efforts of Brisbane-based enterprise WearOptimo as they try and find a way to detect health issues before they become problems, like cardiac disease, inflammation and dehydration. Founder & CEO Professor Mark Kendall and Chief Technology Officer Dr Steve Wilson speak to the MTPConnect podcast team about how their technology, is creating simple, painless, wearable medical devices that interact with our skin and which have the potential to monitor and manage a range of diseases ‘when time matters most’. That also includes COVID-19. Their work is supported by MTPConnect’s BioMedTech Horizons program whose Senior Director Dr Gerard Gibbs discusses the importance of early stage medtech research and what’s ahead for all of the projects receiving BMTH funding as they progress to translate their discoveries from bench to bedside.
In today’s episode, we take you behind the scenes to the translational research facilities around Australia helping researchers take discoveries from the lab to the clinic. TIA is a national consortium of research infrastructure that enables public and private research teams to access affordable technologies and equipment to develop new therapeutics to improve human health. We chat to TIA CEO Dr Stuart Newman about the facilities supporting COVID-19 related research, including its National Biologics Facility in Queensland where UQ researchers are racing against time to develop a COVID-19 vaccine. Dr Marian Sturm, Facility Director of the Cell & Tissue Therapies WA, which is a TIA Consortium member based at Royal Perth Hospital, reveals how their research facility prepared for the pandemic and the importance of up-skilling capability for their advanced manufacturing efforts.
Advances in new technology are driving the use of real-world data to improve healthcare research, including big data analytics, machine learning and Artificial Intelligence in Australia. The MTPConnect podcast team chat to Queensland start-up DataRWE’s Chief Technology Officer Dr Kelvin Ross and Chief Executive Officer Steve Woodyatt about developing a new Precision Medicine Data Platform that gathers patient data from multiple sources in Intensive Care Units to supports medical teams to make informed care decisions at speed for critically ill patients. The platform is being developed at the Gold Coast University Hospital with plans to expand to hospitals across Asia-Pacific. The DataRWE team discuss their COVID-19 pivot underway to roll out an adapted clinical dashboard for ICUs across the state to identify the projectory of the virus in each patient admitted, links to electronic medical records and which patients are most at risk of complications.
Happy International Clinical Trials Day subscribers! To mark this important day, we gathered some leaders from the Australian MTP sector to discuss the power and importance of clinical trials in the discovery of new medicines and treatments for patients, a COVID-19 vaccine trial starting soon in Australia, and how important the clinical trials sector will be in contributing to Australia’s post-COVID recovery. Hear from Dr Paul Griffin, A/Prof of Medicine at the University of Queensland’s Faculty of Medicine, Director of Infectious Diseases at Mater Health Services & Medical Director and principal investigator at Nucleus Network/Qpharm, Carrie Bloomfield, Co-Chair of the Industry-supported R&D Taskforce & Head of Clinical Operations at GlaxoSmithKline and MTPConnect’s Managing Director & CEO Dr Dan Grant, Senior Director Stakeholder Engagement Dr Rebecca Tunstall & Director of Communications & Events Caroline Duell.
As COVID-19 restricts international travel and many meet ups at conventions are put on hold, our MTP sector is adapting to the challenges by doing business differently. So as the important BioKorea 2020 conference has become a digital event, Australia has pivoted with its first virtual trade mission to ensure we continue to showcase homegrown biotech talent and seek out new international markets and commercial collaborations. MTPConnect is supporting Austrade’s Australian pavilion at BioKorea 2020, with a special focus on promoting WA’s thriving life sciences ecosystem. For this episode we chat to Austrade’s Senior Trade Commissioner Julie Quinn and Orthocell’s Managing Director Paul Anderson about the exciting export and partnering opportunities that BioKorea presents, the Australian biotech companies joining Austrade’s virtual trade mission, including a stellar WA lineup, and the hot topics of Alzheimer’s Disease and Regenerative Medicine
Happy bonus episode subscribers! This episode will patch you into our first webinar as part of the MTPConnect 2020 Seminar Series program, and due to COVID-19 restrictions we have had to take it online.
Hear from MTPConnect’s MD & CEO Dr Dan Grant, our MC Director Stakeholder Engagement NSW Dr Duncan Macinnis, AustCyber CEO Michelle Price, Perx Health’s Co-Founder & CEO Hugo Rourke and Forticode’s CEO Tony Smales discuss cyber safety and security in relation to the MTP sector.
Microscopy Australia, headquartered at the University of Sydney, is providing discounted access to its microscopy services through a Technical Voucher Fund for medtech R&D companies for early stage drug discovery. It is work supported by MTPConnect, through the Australian Government’s Project Fund Program that is continuing to reduce the existing barriers to utilise these services. The podcast team - Shannan Osrin and Elizabeth Stares – talk to Microscopy Australia’s Marketing and Business Development Manager Dr Jenny Whiting about the impact on companies and SMEs who have used their instruments and technical testing services, like WA-based Linear Clinical Research and Little Green Pharma. The consortium of nine university-based microscopy facilities is led by the University of Sydney, and includes University of Queensland, University of Western Australia, UNSW Sydney, University of Adelaide, University of South Australia, Australian National University and Flinders University.
How will Australia navigate its medical research and innovation response in a world impacted by COVID-19? Our podcast team talks with economist Dr Pradeep Philip from Deloitte Access Economics about the MTP sector’s critical role in driving Australia’s COVID-19 response and recovery. Dr Philip, who’s had a distinguished career in public policy and health administration and is on the Board of the MedTech Actuator, says the way we tackle the pandemic is an opportunity for Australia to create a COVID-safe economy, increase research collaboration and harness new technology.
Happy Thursday subscribers! This week’s edition features the Founders of two emerging Australian medtech start-ups, Tournicare's Co-Founder & CEO Niels van Sparrentak & Navi Medical Technologies’ Co-Founder & Co-CFO Brad Bergmann, who were selected as a Winner and a Finalist, respectively, in the 2019 Australian Technology Competition. Tournicare have designed a unique home blood pressure monitoring device that patients with hypertension can apply to the arm using only one hand. Navi Medical Technologies have developed ‘neoNav’, a medtech device that is an electrocardiogram (ECG) tip location system that helps medical staff more accurately place catheters in the veins of critically unwell babies.
The Competition, in its 10th year, is supported by MTPConnect and provides a platform for companies of all sectors to access industry connections, partnership opportunities, seed investment and strategic advice. Host Shannan Osrin catches up with Niels and Brad to find out how the Competition has helped to commercialise their important medical devices, their tips on start-up success and how they are operating in this COVID-19 climate.
In this current COVID-19 climate, companies are pivoting and stepping-up to meet industry challenges. Continuing discussions in our virtual podcast studio, host Caroline Duell and Dr Kate Brooks are joined by Epichem CEO, Colin La Galia, to talk about what his chemistry services company is doing to support healthcare teams on the COVID-19 frontline in WA. EpiChem is pivoting to produce WHO formulated chemistry-grade hand sanitiser for hospitals and aged care centres in Western Australia. Colin outlines the ripple effect of the global pandemic on the business and associated industries involved in drug discovery & clinical trials, and how EpiChem is supporting homegrown careers in chemistry to build scientific capability.
For this week’s edition of the podcast, we chat to Dr David Kok, a Radiation Oncologist and Director of Training at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, a clinical researcher and Course Convenor of the Master of Cancer Sciences degree at the University of Melbourne in partnership with the Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre (VCCC). It is Australia’s first cancer-specific, multidisciplinary, and wholly online program, and one of only two such online programs available in the world. Dr Kok talks us through his multiple roles as clinician, researcher and teacher and how post-graduate education and training can addresses the workforce skills gaps in cancer research and treatment. The VCCC is also a partner in MTPConnect’s REDI program that will ensure Australia has an industry-ready MTP workforce with the skills necessary to keep pace with our rapidly changing sector.
Happy 50th episode subscribers! With this special milestone we do our first virtual chat, where host Caroline Duell speaks to Spokle Co-Founder Elisabeth Yunarko. Spokle is a digital health application that aids children with communication difficulties, by providing family-led speech therapy through fun games and video tutorials and has been especially effective in the Indonesian market. Elisabeth was a collaborator on our latest research report in partnership with Asialink Business ‘Digital Health: Opportunities in Indonesia’, supported by Austrade, which you can download on the MTPConnect website.
MTPConnect hosted Medical Alley Association’s VP Intelligence Frank Jaskulke for our first Seminar Series around Australia. The podcast team spoke to Frank after he completed his tour of Queensland, New South Wales and Western Australia, to find out how prepared Australian medtech companies are to break into the United States. Our Senior Director Stakeholder Engagement Dr Rebecca Tunstall joined in this discussion and shared insights from those who attended the seminar series. Thanks to Frank for joining our series and speaking to our stakeholders.
Australia is stepping-up to the global challenge to tackle Antimicrobial Resistance, and this week our podcast takes you to a keynote presentation by our Director Stakeholder Engagement for Queensland Andrew Bowskill at the DMTC Conference in Canberra. Andrew’s key message? We need a new approach to commercialising novel antibiotics now to save lives. Our thanks to DMTC’s CEO Mark Hodge and the team for hosting MTPConnect and giving us the platform to discuss this important global health challenge.
What is a tele trial and how do patients get access to these in regional Australia? The podcast team chat to Clinical Oncology Society of Australia (COSA)’s CEO Marie Malica and Professor Sabe Sabesan the Director of the Department of Medical Oncology at the Townsville Cancer Centre, about the impact of a pilot project where clinicians and industry work together to give patients in regional and remote areas access to the latest cancer treatment trials and why this new approach is a game-changer for these patients; which is partially funded under the Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources (DISER)’s Industry Growth Centre Project Fund Program.
Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) is recognised as one of the world’s most pressing global health priorities according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Hosts Stuart Dignam and Dr Dan Grant speak to a leading researcher in this field, Professor Adrian Towse from the Office of Health Economics in the UK. They discuss the importance of Australia’s position in the fight against AMR and how important it is to continue finding novel antibiotics and prevent the transmission of emerging superbugs.
What is deep tech? We find this out in this week’s edition of the MTPConnect podcast, where host Shannan Osrin chats to Cicada Innovations CEO Sally-Ann Williams. They discuss investment, translation and commercialisation and partnering opportunities with Cicada, companies that have been through the Cicada MedLab accelerator program and Sally-Ann’s decade-long career at Google Australia.
In this week’s edition, we profile Victoria’s Lead Scientist, Dr Amanda Caples. We explore her career in research, industry and the public sector, look at her work to amplify STEM education in primary, secondary and tertiary education, and discuss exciting new opportunities for Australian innovators in space healthtech through the Australian Space Agency.
In this week’s special edition of the MTPConnect podcast, we look at the critical role being played by Australian scientists and researchers as part of the global response to the Novel Coronavirus public health emergency.
With thousands of people infected worldwide, and the number of deaths already surpassing 900, the race is on for a vaccine – and it’s here that Australia is playing a critical role.
We meet two leading researchers in this area – Professor George Lovrecz from CSIRO and Professor Trent Munro from the University of Queensland’s Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology who discuss their work with the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) and the status of the vital research.
Round two applications for funding through the Biomedical Translation Bridge program will open shortly. In this episode of the MTPConnect podcast, we bring you our Round 2 Information Session recorded from Melbourne. Hear from MTPConnect’s Dr Dan Grant and our partners; BioCurate’s Dr Tifelle Reisinger, UniQuest’s Dr Mark Ahston and the Medical Device Partnering Program’s Dr Andrew Milligan. They share their learnings from Round 1 and what they will be looking for in Round 2.
Stay tuned for news on when Round 2 opens for applications.
For this edition of the MTPConnect Podcast, we speak to Arthur Ong, Head of Product Management at Curve Tomorrow, the award winning digital health and technology company on a mission to impact 1 billion lives. We discuss digital health trends, their work with the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute & AFL to create the HeadCheck app for concussion management, pitching digital health innovations and more.
Happy New Year and welcome to a new season of the MTPConnect Podcast.
For this edition, we introduce you to a new host, Caroline Duell, and to a very special guest – renowned burns surgeon, researcher and medtech innovator Prof Fiona Wood AO from WA. Fiona takes us through her start-up journey to develop the world’s first spray-on skin, the importance of asking why, and how science is improving burns treatment.
MTPConnect with support from Asialink Business and Austrade released our new report ‘Frugal Innovation in Medical Devices and Technologies: The India Opportunity’, the first research of its kind to highlight the growing opportunities for future-focused Australian medical technologies businesses looking to tap into the growing healthcare market in India.
We hear from MTPConnect’s Managing Director & CEO Dr Dan Grant and a panel of industry experts who ‘unpack’ the India Opportunity in a discussion led by Asialink Business CEO Mukund Narayanamurti.
- Dr Pradeep Philip, Partner at Deloitte Access Economics
- Sabeen Shaikh, Managing Director of Crescent Strategy Consulting
- Associate Professor Ruth Webster, Global Head of Medicine, George Health Technologies at the George Institute for Global Health
You can download a copy of our report at the MTPConnect website.
For this edition of the MTPConnect podcast, host Shannan Osrin takes you to the West Tech Fest in Perth. Now in its eighth year it continues to bring together local founders, innovators, researchers and industry to further strengthen the Australian startup ecosystem. Carlo Bellini is a medical doctor turned business strategist, executive coach, and speaker. His boutique firm, HIP Consulting (Health Innovation Performance) works at the intersection of leadership, health, business, and innovation. He advises leaders that are looking to move the needle, from working with startups to multi-billion dollar corporations and governments.
Dr Carlo Bellini facilitated a West Tech Fest panel with Dr Kate Brooks (MTPConnect), Dr Kath Giles (OncoRes Medical) and Dr Marcus Tan (HealthEngine) about disruption in healthcare technology in Western Austalia. We get Kate’s and Carlo’s thoughts following their on stage discussion.
The BioMedTech Horizons Program is focused on supporting translation of Australian medical technology innovation to address key health challenges. MTPConnect convened our Round 1 BioMedTech Horizons Program recipients together in Melbourne for a chance to hear about all projects underway, swap ideas on challenges being faced and gain advice from commercialisation experts. Listen in to Carina Biotech’s Professor Jane Rathjen, Griffith University’s Professor David Lloyd and Professor Randy Bindra, and Garvan Institute of Medical Research’s Professor Luke Hesson. The episode also features MTPConnect Managing Director & CEO Dr Dan Grant and intellectual property expert Rob McInness, Principal at Rob McInness IP Advisory.
Credits: Host Shannan Osrin.
The Biomedicine Discovery Institute (BDI) located at Monash University’s Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences in Melbourne gives early-to-mid career researchers the opportunity to study and tackle global health priorities, like BDI Research Fellow Dr Mitchell Lawrence’s research into Prostate Cancer. Home to more than 700 researchers, 120 research groups and 200 international research collaborators, BDI Deputy Director Professor Dena Lyras gives us insight into the direction of the Institute to provide avenues for researchers to excel and realise opportunities to connect with industry to further their biomedical breakthroughs. And hear about the payoffs for researchers competing in the BDI’s ‘So You Think You Can Pitch Showcase’, on again in December.
Credits: Shannan Osrin
In a special episode, we sit down with Senator Arthur Sinodinos AO for his last interview before leaving the Senate to become Australia’s next Ambassador to the United States of America. He reflects on his 30 year career in public service - as a Senator for NSW, Prime Minister John Howard’s Chief of Staff and Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science – and discusses the future of genomics, regenerative medicine and why sharing our personal health records can be life-saving.
Credits: Host Stuart Dignam
The MTPConnect Podcast team was on the ground at the 2019 Bridge Program Symposium in Melbourne late last month, speaking with bright and emerging research talent, Bridge consortia members from Australian pharma companies about its training program to enable successful commercialisation of Australian pharmaceutical research. Hear from QUT Executive Director Professor Lyn Griffiths, Amgen Director Access, Value and Policy Sean Lybrand and some Pitch winners heading to the US on an R&D tour of American pharma industry; Pradeep Pillai (James Cook University) and Kate Samardzic (University Technology, Sydney). We cover a wide range of topics for budding researchers including what a career in big pharma could look like, how to pitch for research dollars and much, much more.
Credits: Host Shannan Osrin
In a special episode, the MTPConnect Podcast brings you inside a Board meeting in Sydney with our Chair Sue MacLeman and the inaugural Guest of the Chair Dr Parisa Glass, Executive Director at The George Institute for Global Health. Sue explains how the initiative came to be and Parisa provides some of her learnings from her first Board meeting.
Credits: Host Stuart Dignam
The MTPConnect team was on the ground for the launch of Anatomics new 3D printing polymer laboratory at the MAKE Incubator in Melbourne where Federal Minister for Health Hon Greg Hunt MP was on hand to cut the ribbon and open the facility. He stayed to chat about the importance of the pioneering polymer implants in treating patients in need of vital reconstructive surgery. We also spoke to Anatomics CEO and surgeon, Paul D’Urso about the impact of BioMedTech Horizons funding in helping him reach this milestone.
Credits: Host Shannan Osrin
MTPConnect is officially open for business in Queensland, after the launch of our new offices at the Translational Research Institute in Brisbane! Minister for Industry, Science and Technology Hon. Karen Andrews MP was on hand to open our offices and announce the IMNIS Regional Queensland Initiative that will see six PhD students from James Cook University and six students from CQ University have access to industry mentors in their university program. IMNIS Executive Director Dr Marguerite Evans-Galea AM, IMNIS mentor Kym Baker from Patheon and IMNIS mentee Nick Lee were also there to share the impact of IMNIS on their professional journeys.
Credits: Host Stuart Dignam
The MTPConnect podcast team bring you more on the ground conversations with international delegates and our Australian companies at the 2019 MedTech Conference in Boston. Check out Dr Kath Giles and the OncoRes Medical team and Macuject’s Devinder Chauhan. JP Morgan's Mike Gietl, Evidence Matters' Leslie Wise, Nine Point Medical's Eman Namati and Austrade USA’s Elizabeth Thomas also share their experiences, observations and advice on getting Australian medtech into the US market.
The 2019 MedTech Conference is underway and the MTPConnect team is on the ground in Boston to bring you exclusive chats with Australian delegates like Bionics Institute’s CEO Robert Klupacs and international participants like Finland’s Marcello van Rossum from the Helsinki Business Hub.
We have a Nobel Laureate in the house for this week’sMTPConnect Podcast. Professor of Microbiology at UWA - and 2005 Nobel Prize winner - Professor Barry Marshall joins the MTPConnect team, along with Dr Josephine Muir, the CEO & Co-Founder of WA start-up, Noisy Guts. On the agenda - medtech innovation, the challenges of translation and how AI is changing everything.
The 2019 MedTech Conference is fast approaching and Melbourne-based Hydrix will be there are part of the Aussie delegation. We chat to the company’s Director of Business Development Richard Stephens about his plans and expectations for this years’ conference.
The MTPConnect Podcast team recently caught up with Pfizer Ventures Managing Partner Dr Barbara Dalton to talk about Australia’s strengths as a destination to conduct clinical trials. Dr Dalton discusses what’s so attractive about Australia to international companies and we explore the potential to grow the export earning potential of our clinical trials ecosystem.
Wollongong, south of Sydney, is famous for beaches, rainforests and increasingly its world-leading 3D bioprinting facility, TRICEP. In this episode of the MTPConnect podcast series, we tour TRICEP, speak with its Director Professor Gordon Wallace and Dr Stephen Beirne and delve into the world of cellular engineering and bioprinting.
MTPConnect is thrilled to be supporting Western Australia’s burgeoning life sciences sector which is producing standout startups like OncoRes Medical. In this episode we meet their Managing Director and CEO Dr Kath Giles and introduce the new Director of Stakeholder Engagement at the MTPConnect WA Life Sciences Innovation Hub, Dr Kate Brooks.
The ARCS Australia conference, supported by MTPConnect, has wrapped up for another year. It brought together key leaders in the MTP sector - and we chatted with many of them in this episode of our podcast series.
The Translational Research Institute and Vaxxas are supported by MTPConnect through the Growth Centre Initiative to increase Australia’s skills and capabilities in manufacturing. This week, we’re in Brisbane where our COO Stuart Dignam chats to TRI’s Michelle Richards and Vaxxas’s Charles Ross to discuss the impact of their projects.
Brett Carter is the CEO of the Cancer Therapeutics CRC and he joins us in the MTPConnect podcast studio to chat his team’s work, their project to build a comprehensive drug discovery library and the growing importance of cancer immunotherapy.
The Bionics Institute has signed-up to join MTPConnect’s delegation to the 2019 MedTech Conference in Boston in September -- and you can too. CEO Robert Klupacs chats with us about the benefits of being part of the Australian delegation. He also shares his insights on how to take advantage of the conference and strategies for building connections and opening-up new market opportunities.
In this episode, we take you to the Innovate Health conference and our Managing Director & CEO’s keynote address. Dr Dan Grant traces the history of megatrends in health and medical research and explores the emerging megatrends set to disrupt healthcare — all discussed in our new Sector Competitiveness Plan (available to download now).
WuXi NextCODE Chief Strategy Officer Alex Fowkes joins MTPConnect Managing Director and CEO Dr Dan Grant in the our podcast studio to talk about his career in life sciences which has seen him traverse the globe. Alex shares insights into how far Australia has come, what the future may look like in life sciences and the rise and rise of areas like precision medicine and genomics.
BioEYES is an internationally-recognised STEM education program through Monash University’s Biomedicine Discovery Institute (BDI) and the Australian Regenerative Medicine Insitute (ARMI). Monash BDI Outreach Education Coordinator Laura Reid takes BioEYES to primary and secondary schools across Victoria, opening kids’ minds to the power of STEM - and the magic of zebrafish.
The $22.3 million Biomedical Translation Bridge program opens for applications on 1 July. MTPConnect and our BTB partners BioCurate, UniQuest, the Medical Device Partnering Program and the Bridge and BridgeTech Programs took to the stage at the Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre for an Information Session on how you can apply to the program and more!
MTPConnect has been on the ground in the city of Brotherly love, Philadelphia as part of the big Australian delegation to the 2019 BIO International Convention. It's the world's biggest gathering of the biotech and pharma sector and in this episode our COO Stuart Dignam and our Managing Director and CEO Dr Dan Grant take you inside BIO, bringing you interviews with some of the key people.
In this episode, we introduce MTPConnect’s inaugural CEO, now Chair – Sue MacLeman. Sue steps into the MTPConnect podcast studio to reflect on her career, how being a mentor for IMNIS has made her positive about the future of STEM professionals and to discuss the way forward for MTPConnect and the sector.
To mark International Clinical Trials Day, we’ve brought together a high powered panel to explore why clinical trials are so important to patient health - and national wealth.
Our CEO Dr Dan Grant is joined in the MTPConnect podcast studio by special guests CT:IQ Program Director Leanne Weekes, GSK Australia’s Head of Clinical Research Carrie Bloomfield and from California, Deep 6 AI Vice President Eric Gildenhuys.
As AusBiotech prepares to lead the largest ever Australian delegation to the BIO International Convention in Philadelphia, its CEO Lorraine Chiroiu joins MTPConnect CEO Dr Dan Grant in the MTPConnect Podcast studio to give you tips on how to maximise opportunities from the mission.
Industry Mentoring Network in STEM (IMNIS) Executive Director Dr Marguerite Evans-Galea comes into the MTPConnect Podcast Studio to discuss the importance of mentoring in career development and how IMNIS is working to boost mentoring opportunities across Australia. MTPConnect CEO Dr Dan Grant also joins us and shares his experiences as a mentee.
In Melbourne for the official launch of their Victorian office, the Medical Device Partnering Program’s Director Professor Karen Reynolds and newly appointed Regional Director for Victoria Professor Sally McArthur stopped by the MTPConnect Podcast Studio to discuss all things partnering, trends in medical devices and what they hope their expansion into Victoria will hold.
How does Australia get better at commercialising its world-class research? QUT Executive Director Professor Lyn Griffiths leads the Bridge and BridgeTech programs which help mid-career entrepreneurs and scientists with practical skills on pharmaceutical and medical technology commercialisation. She came into the MTPConnect podcast studio to chat about strategies for enhancing the commercialisation pathway.
For medtech, pharma and digital health innovators, cracking the US market can make all the difference for a business venture.
It’s equally parts lucrative and challenging.
We invited Frank Jaskulke, VP Intelligence at the Medical Alley Association in Minnesota, and our very own GM Stakeholder Engagement Dr Alfredo Martinez-Coll into the MTPConnect podcast studio to break down the do's and dont's of a US market entry strategy.
Join MTPConnect for an access-all-areas tour of the St Vincent’s Hospital BioFab3D lab in Melbourne. Centre Manager Cathal O’Connell is our guide as we explore the BioFab3d@ACMD and BioPen projects, both supported by MTPConnect.
MTPConnect is participating in AusBiotech's Australian delegation to Hong Kong and Shanghai for the third Asian Investment Series. Our CEO Dr Dan Grant was on the ground in Hong Kong to discuss the importance of building relationships with Chinese companies and investors, the burgeoning potential of Asian markets and the potential for foreign direct investment into Australia's MTP sector.
Healthtech start-up Health Horizon has developed a unique platform to track development of Australian health innovations. Their project was supported through the MTPConnect Project Fund Program. Co-Founder Mathew McGann joins the MTPConnect Podcast with Director Major Projects, Elizabeth Stares, to tell us more about the platform and how consumers have come to appreciate it.
Today, the Australian Government announced a $150 million injection for the establishment of the Stem Cell Mission to boost health and medical research in Australia. The announcement was made by the Minister for Health Hon. Greg Hunt MP - MTPConnect was on hand for the big news and to catch up with the Mission's Co-Chairs Professor Melissa Little and Professor Mark Kendall.
Silvio Tiziani is the CEO of CCRM Australia and the Director of ARMI at Monash University. He chatted with us about CCRM Australia’s work in the regenerative medicine sector and what role it plays in advancing the future health of patients in Australian and globally.
Lisa Suennen – known by her Twitter followers as the Venture Valkyerie – recently visited Australia from the US. She’s an entrepreneur, a Group Leader of Manatt, Phelps & Phillips looking after its Digital and Technology businesses and Founder of CSweetener. Lisa joined ANDHealth for its recent Digital Health Summit and Women in Digital Health luncheon to talk about entrepreneurship, venture capital, gender equity and the future of digital health.
In this first episode of the MTPConnect Podcast Series, we are joined by our CEO Dr Dan Grant and GM Stakeholder Engagement Dr Alfredo Martinez-Coll. We delve into many of the big issues for the Australian medtech, biotech and pharma (MTP) sector including, digital health, precision medicine, regenerative medicine. We also look at what it takes to craft and develop a successful grant application to take your innovation to the next level. Even the Minister for Health Hon. Greg Hunt MP stops with a big announcement to boost research and commercialisation.