The newly built Medicines Manufacturing Innovation Centre (MMIC), co-located at the Australian Synchrotron at Clayton, was officially opened on Wednesday by the Victorian Deputy Premier and Minister for Medical Research the Hon Ben Carroll.
The event was co-hosted by ANSTO.
In 2022 ANSTO formalised a research partnership agreement and legal contracts with MMIC to build a dedicated 2-storey facility to house their activities at the Australian Synchrotron.
While the new facility was under construction, MMIC made use of laboratory and office space at the Australian Synchrotron.
The MMIC synchrotron research program will be supported by Merit and Commercial Access beamtime, and the appointment of a MMIC-funded Postdoctoral Fellow.
ANSTO has a collaborative partnership with the Centre, which facilitates access to a suite of beamlines at the Australian Synchrotron and other on-site laboratory facilities.
"As many of the new formulations include crystalline components or use nanomaterials, synchrotron techniques are highly useful in characterising these materials," said Prof Michael James, who attended the official opening.
"Utilisation of Australian Synchrotron capabilities has enhanced the service offerings that the Centre can provide to clients and make use of in their research activities."
"This is an excellent initiative that builds on our already productive and impactful relationship with Monash University," he said.
The project was funded with $8.58 million investment from the Victorian Higher Education State Investment Fund and $4 million from Monash University.
MMIC's expansion to Clayton builds on the Centre's work based at the Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences in Parkville to provide further opportunities for innovation across medicine formulation and resolving manufacturing process challenges.
Deputy Premier Carroll also announced a grant awarded to MMIC by the Cumming Global Centre for Pandemic Therapeutics, part of the Doherty Institute in Melbourne. The grant will fund the development of a potential new therapeutic agent for the treatment of respiratory infections and inflammation, with the aim to help safeguard the community against both existing and future viruses.
Director of MMIC, Professor Michelle McIntosh said, "This new facility represents a significant advancement in Victoria's research commercialisation opportunities. Our team of dedicated pharmaceutical scientists are committed to driving forward the end-to-end development of a range of medicines using state-of-the-art technology, from laboratory-scale projects right through to local manufacture of medicines for clinical trials."
Inaugural Director of the Cumming Global Centre, Professor Sharon Lewin said, "In a globally competitive process for funding, Professor McIntosh's exploration of an innovative delivery system to treat future respiratory viruses stood out for both scientific excellence and its alignment to the science behind therapeutics for pathogens of pandemic potential."
In addition to the latest Cumming Global Centre grant, MMIC is working on a suite of local and international projects with a range of partners, including Texas-based biotechnology company Etira Therapeutics.
