Australian Biotech Open for Business at BIO 2022

06/15/22 • 23 min

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.

Previous Episode

BTB: Dimerix investigates new treatment for COVID-19 complications

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/

Next Episode

TTRA supports Nirtek’s mission to prevent heart attacks and save lives

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.