MELBOURNE, Australia — 23 December 2024 CUREator +, has announced that eight local startups developing innovations with the potential to save lives and improve wellbeing will receive grants totalling $18.5 million in its first funding round.
CUREator+, delivered in partnership with Brandon BioCatalyst and ANDHealth, is a national program focused on accelerating the research translation and commercialisation of preclinical and clinical early-stage Australian medical research and medical innovations with commercial potential.
These innovations include drugs (novel and repurposed), devices, diagnostics and digital technologies that address unmet needs.
- Enabling rapid assessment of the efficacy of cancer treatments
- AI-powered platform providing early warning for treatable pregnancy and labour complications
- Technology to develop CAR T-cell Therapy in tumours
- An alternative to antipsychotics for managing agitation and aggression in dementia
- A therapy for treating inflammatory bowel disease
- Utilising gene therapy to restore vision in patients with 'incurable' blindness
- Imaging technology which differentiates cancer from healthy tissue
- Software to improve the accuracy and effectiveness of radiation therapy for breast cancer.
The independent CUREator+ Investment Review Committee selected the companies driving these home-grown innovations based on their solid scientific and technical foundations, commercial promise, and potential to benefit Australian patients.
Brandon BioCatalyst CEO, Dr Chris Nave, said: "The high quality of CUREator+ round one companies is exciting and evidence of Australia's scientific potential. Thanks to the Federal Government's Medical Research Future Fund, these companies will receive the support needed to translate their innovations into potential therapies that contribute to the growth of the local biotech sector."
ANDHealth CEO & MD Bronwyn Le Grice said: "The companies selected for the program are developing new solutions to solve major health challenges. In the current market, substantive equity-free funding, such as provided under CUREator+ and access to global industry leaders with proven track records, can make a material difference to the speed and success of commercialising these exciting new technologies."
Thanks to funding from the Federal Government's Medical Research Future Fund, the CUREator + awardees will receive funding, supporting services and mentoring to help them produce the outputs needed to advance the commercialisation of their therapeutics, medical devices, and digital health innovations. The first-round recipients are:
Amplificare (NSW) is in clinical development with a candidate that could enable clinicians to rapidly assess treatment efficacy in breast, oesophageal, and colorectal cancers and non-Hodgkin's lymphomas. They will use their CUREator+ funding to evaluate their candidate for pancreatic cancer.
Baymatob (NSW) is developing an AI-powered maternal and foetal health platform ('Oli') that provides early warning for treatable complications in pregnancy and labour, including the leading cause of maternal mortality, postpartum haemorrhage (PPH). CUREator+ funding will enable a pivotal clinical trial to prove the accuracy of the PPH early warning system and prepare the regulatory submissions.
Currus Biologics (VIC) is a preclinical company developing its proprietary BEAT technology for CAR T-cell Therapy in solid tumours. Their CUREator+ funding will be used to transfer their CAR T-cell manufacturing method from Lonza to Cell Therapies and establish GMP manufacturing processing in preparation for a Series B capital raise.
Kinoxis Therapeutics (VIC) is a clinical candidate that aims to provide an alternative to antipsychotics for managing agitation and aggression in dementia. Their CUREator+ grant will fund a Phase 2 trial to examine the candidate's ability to treat these symptoms without the liabilities of atypical antipsychotics.
Micromune Therapeutics (QLD) is advancing a therapy for treating inflammatory bowel disease. They will use their CUREator+ funding to generate a clinical candidate with the required safety, efficacy, and manufacturing packages to raise investment for IND-enabling GMP manufacture, GLP regulatory, and Phase 1 clinical studies.
Mirugen (VIC) aims to restore vision in patients with incurable blindness by developing a novel gene therapy to stimulate dormant stem cells within the eye's retina to regenerate photoreceptors. The CUREator+ grant will continue their cell reprogramming technology to address the loss of photoreceptors in various diseases.
OncoRes (WA) addresses critical gaps in cancer surgery with its innovative QME imaging technology, which differentiates cancer from healthy tissue in real-time. CUREator+ funding will be used to digitise OncoRes's validated QME platform to speed up image processing and enhance surgeons' real-time decision-making.
SeeTreat Medical (NSW) is developing AI-enabled, hardware-agnostic software to improve the accuracy of radiation therapy for breast cancer, improve treatment effectiveness, and mitigate risks of complications. Their CUREator+ funding will be used to advance the development of its software technology, complete a clinical trial supporting validation, and pursue regulatory clearance.
CUREator+ supports the translation of Australia's globally recognised scientific research and digital capabilities to expedite the advancement of local innovations that have the potential to improve global well-being and grow the local life science sector's economic contribution. The program bridges the early-stage funding gap for researchers and innovators.
