A new funding program to support biopharmaceutical manufacturing development

The first round of a new pilot funding program opens this week in Queensland, with at least $2 million available for biopharmaceutical product developers wanting to make use of BioPharmaceuticals Australia’s (BPA) new mammalian cell contract manufacturing facility, operated by DSM Biologics (DSMB).

Based in Brisbane, the state-of-the-art facility is designed to manufacture cell-culture-derived APIs for preclinical and clinical trials, as well as the market. In October 2013, the doors opened on BPA’s new $65 million, GMP, contract manufacturing facility.

The Access Support Grants are available over a two-year period to: increase the number of Australian-made and clinically trialled biopharmaceutical products; attract international biotechnology companies to set up local subsidiaries and work with DSMB; and strengthen Queensland and Australia’s reputation as a regional hub of biotechnology development. There is the scope to increase funding and expand the program in the future if this pilot program proves successful.

BPA will provide support via the new Biopharmaceutical Development Fund (BDF), which has been established to support the development of therapeutic proteins generated in mammalian cell culture - from the preclinical stage right through to approved drug products.

The program will reduce the risk of these projects being delayed due to the significant costs typically associated with GMP manufacturing. Providing support for facility access will enable financially constrained entities with promising biologic drug prospects to accelerate their commercial translation through co-funded access to pivotal process developmental, scale-up and GMP manufacturing activities.

BPA has also designed the BDF with investment attraction in mind. Overseas companies can get support for the establishment of local subsidiaries and benefit from co-location with the suite of world-class biopharmaceutical development service providers already in Queensland.

In order to qualify for Access Support Grants, entities must be able to demonstrate a validated mechanism of action for a well-characterised biologic molecule and genuine need for financial support.

Further details and program guidelines can be found on the BioPharmaceuticals Australia website: www.biopharmaus.com.au