Macquarie University Vice-Chancellor Professor S Bruce Dowton joined NSW Minister for Science, Innovation and Technology Alister Henskens and project partners for the on-campus announcement.
The groundbreaking facility will support the State’s capability to develop and manufacture RNA-based therapeutics locally. It is expected to conduct small-scale production of messenger RNA (mRNA), synthetic RNA (sRNA) and lipid nanoparticles (LNP) encapsulation at a scale, which will enable clinical trials of new therapeutics.
“This facility has the potential to save lives by accelerating our biomedical research capabilities and boosting early-phase clinical trials to combat disease,” Mr Henskens said.
On-campus innovation: NSW Minister for Science, Innovation and Technology Alister Henskens, Myeloid Therapeutics CEO Dr Daniel Getts, Liberal candidate for Ryde Jordan Lane and Macquarie University Vice-Chancellor Professor S Bruce Dowton.
The facility, which will include laboratories and other support spaces, will be operated by global therapeutics company Myeloid Therapeutics – co-founded by Australian researcher Dr Daniel Getts – following a competitive tender process.
It will be the only site in Australia and one of a handful in the world, where a wide range of RNA therapeutics and potential delivery technologies will be independently produced, providing NSW with scalable manufacturing opportunities that will bolster sovereign capability.
In addition to leveraging Macquarie’s own world-class cell and gene therapy research expertise, the facility will also tap into the strong innovation ecosystem across NSW, including Macquarie Park, home to a host of medical- and health-related organisations and industrial and technology startups.
Professor Dowton, who represents the New South Wales Vice-Chancellors’ Committee in relation to the establishment of this facility, said the new facility will help create a thriving medical precinct in the Park.
“Macquarie’s researchers and clinicians are engaged in answering some of the most urgent medical questions of our time,” Professor Dowton said. “These are all areas where RNA research has tremendous potential, and we are proud to be the home of this important work going forward.”
The pilot facility will be built in the North Zone of the campus and is expected to be completed in 2025.
