A new partnership between Victoria and South Africa is set to fast track international collaboration for the development and manufacture of next generation mRNA vaccines and medicines.
A partnership signed on Thursday, April 27 by representatives of mRNA Victoria, Afrigen Biologics and the South African Medical Research Council will develop mRNA vaccine collaboration between the two jurisdictions including, a South-African based World Health Organisation mRNA Technology Transfer Hub in South Africa.
The initiative is aimed to improve low-cost mRNA vaccine production capacity in low- and middle-income countries and to train international workforces in mRNA vaccine advanced manufacturing.
The Memorandum of Understanding will focus on sharing knowledge across three key areas: best-practice mRNA advanced manufacturing, mRNA workforce training and development and research collaboration.
Industry and Innovation Minister Ben Carroll said that this agreement positions Victoria as a world leader in the mRNA industry.
“… It ensures we play a critical role in assisting other countries to develop vaccines and medicines using this technology,” Mr Carroll said.
The Afrigen Biologics and South African Medical Research Council delegation will visit Victorian research institutes including the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Burnet Institute, and Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute at Monash University’s Clayton campus to discuss potential collaborations.
The partnership signed with Afrigen Biologics and South African Medical Research Council follows previous partnership agreements signed by mRNA Victoria with the United Arab Emirates and South Korea, along with global mRNA industry leaders including Moderna and BioNTech to establish operations in Melbourne.
With global medical research over the next decade expected to be dominated by mRNA research, Melbourne has become the leading site for medical research in the Indo-Pacific, home to global innovative biotechnology companies and world-renowned medical research institutions.
