Local manufacturers to commercialise world-leading products in prostate cancer, vaccination and drug delivery

MedTech News: Australian manufacturers continue to drive Australia’s economic recovery from the pandemic. With the latest round of co-investment awarded to local manufacturers, these projects are commercialising better ways to manage and mitigate our health and security concerns, improve food and beverage operations, and make better use of our planet and its finite resources.

The latest round of co-invested projects announced via the Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre managed Commercialisation Fund will see Australia’s manufacturing industry contribute over $32.4 million in funding alongside the Federal Government’s $9.03 million to drive commercialisation of world-leading Australian-made products.

With $29 million of the $30 million Commercialisation Fund allocated to 55 projects just 10-months after the launch of the program, AMGC has allocated 23% of the investment into medical products which os one of the six National Manufacturing Priorities.

Managing Director for AMGC, Dr Jens Goennemann, said “This latest tranche of co-investment demonstrates the broad capability of Australian manufacturing and its ability to drive jobs growth across the entire spectrum of manufacturing roles, known as the Smiley Curve – that is jobs in R&D, Design through to production, distribution, and highly-sought after sales and services positions.

“The demand for targeted, well-managed, and appropriately sized co-investment has seen the Commercialisation Fund near exhaustion after just ten months. This demonstrates the appetite for co-capital investment and the manufacturing industry’s willingness to match or better Federal investment to commercialise Australian ideas for domestic and international markets,” said Dr Goennemann.

The successful co-invested manufacturing projects in the Medicak Products category include:

• Vaxxas (QLD) – Scaling and automation of manufacturing capability to produce a novel, needle-free vaccination platform. The High-Density Micro-projection Array Patch (HD-MAP) aims to improve the efficacy, reach, safety and economics of vaccination. Total project commitment $1.59 million ($600,000 from Commercialisation Fund)

• Minomic Int (NSW) – Commercialisation of the MiCheck Prostate test that is designed to detect life threatening aggressive prostate cancer in its early stages. MiCheck Prostate overcomes the low accuracy of conventional screening tests to reduce unnecessary intervention such as painful biopsies and improve overall management of the patient.Total project commitment $793,856 ($396,928 from Commercialisation Fund)

• Ceramisphere (NSW) – Development of a manufacturing capability of transdermal drug delivery system using its unique nanocomposite patch technology for pain relief. Total project commitment $2.17 million ($471,000 from Commercialisation Fund)

• Elenium (VIC) – Develop a biometric device that can be deployed into a range of environments to automate biometric identification for access control, ticketing, contact tracing (requiring Government integration), vaccination and antigen test status, and the capability to perform contactless fever detection once approved. Total project commitment $1.35 million ($553,364 from Commercialisation Fund)

• Examin (QLD) – Commercialisation of a 2-minute COVID-19 breath test using a novel electrochemical biosensor that detects viral load at a molecular level with a sensitivity and specificity of 97%-98%. Total project commitment $1.3 million ($647,665 from Commercialisation Fund)

• Reid Print Technologies (QLD) – Field trials and commercial certification of a novel ‘Smart Shoe Insole’ (Smart Orthotics Sensor Skin), used to monitor the onset of foot ulcers that commonly afflict diabetes sufferers. Total project commitment $690,000 ($300,000 from Commercialisation Fund)