We meet Dr Daniel Timms, the Australian biomechanical engineer behind BiVACOR who has dedicated his life to developing a titanium Total Artificial Heart (TAH) to restore the lives of people with end-stage heart failure, a disease that impacted his own family. It’s a 25-year quest that has taken him from a PhD at QUT, developing the device with his …

As World Antimicrobial Resistance Awareness Week (WAAW) kicked off around the globe, the Australian Antimicrobial Resistance Network (AAMRNet) was meeting in Canberra to explore how Australia can better support the development of and access to new antimicrobial technologies. Key clinicians, researchers, industry and government representatives gathe…

It’s World Antimicrobial Resistance Awareness Week (WAAW) and the theme is "Educate. Advocate. Act now". It’s a yearly global campaign, raising awareness of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and promoting ways to reduce the spread of drug-resistant infections. To mark the occasion, MTPConnect’s Andrew Bowskill, Co-chair of the Australian Antimicrobial…

As thousands in the medical technology sector headed to Toronto, Canada for The MedTech 2024 Conference, MTPConnect was making sure that the 18 companies and organisations joining the Australian delegation were given opportunities to showcase their capabilities and make valuable US and international connections with a stopover in the medtech hub of…

In July 2024, MTPConnect was selected to deliver a new $28.5 million investment for Drugs and Devices, which builds on the legacy of the inaugural TTRA program. The objective of TTRA Drugs and Devices is to accelerate development and commercialisation of promising drugs and medical devices into products that can reduce the burden of cardiovascular …

Omico is leading Australia’s largest cancer genomics initiative –giving 23,000 Australians nationwide with advanced or incurable cancers, access to genomic profiling to detect unique genetic variations in their tumours to identify potential matches to new targeted treatments options. It is opening up new treatment pathways, extending lives and attr…

Biocom California is the US state’s advocate for the life sciences industry with a network of over 1700 members. With offices located in San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco Bay Area, Sacramento, Washington, D.C, and Tokyo the group is focused on building international collaborations and networks to bring new medicines to patients. MTPConnect rece…

Back in June, MTPConnect led the Australian delegation at BIO 2024 in San Diego organising a range of activities to showcase Australia’s innovative life sciences sector to the international biotech industry. With a powerful #TeamAustralia focus and a 500-strong delegation from Australia, BIO2024 was the biggest and best ever! In this BIO Bites epis…

Back in June, MTPConnect led the Australian delegation at BIO 2024 in San Diego organising a range of activities to showcase Australia’s innovative life sciences sector to the international biotech industry. With a powerful #TeamAustralia focus and a 500-strong delegation from Australia, BIO2024 was the biggest and best ever! In this BIO Bites epis…

Diabetes affects one in 20 people. An important initiative to set up a ‘virtual’ emergency department designed for people living with diabetes has launched in Melbourne, Victoria during National Diabetes Week, with the aim of preventing unnecessary trips to hospital. The Victorian Virtual Emergency Department-Diabetes Service will be added to the e…

ARM Hub is a technology adoption hub based in Brisbane, with a focus on robotics, AI and design for manufacture for biomedical, energy and defence industries. The not for profit was recently appointed as one of four AI Adopt Centres by the Government to provide a service for SMEs that demonstrates how data and AI can modernise business, build skill…

The Clinical Translation and Commercialisation Medtech (CTCM) program aims to boost commercialisation of home-grown medical products. It is delivered by MTPConnect on behalf of the Medical Research Future Fund. WA-based VitalTrace is one of the companies participating in the CTCM program and developing a groundbreaking medical device to revolutioni…

Back in 2022, the Government of Western Australia issued a global challenge for a world-leading medical research and innovation solution to resolve a pressing problem of health service delivery in the remote Pilbara region. Ten projects were selected as finalists and given 12 months proof of concept funding to deliver their solution on the ground i…

The Australian Stroke & Heart Research Accelerator (ASHRA) was established in early 2022 as part of the Targeted Translation Research Accelerator – a program delivered by MTPConnect for the Medical Research Future Fund. This is a research centre with a difference. Lead by Australia’s foremost heart and stroke researchers, ASHRA is aiming to transfo…

Radiopharmaceuticals are precision nuclear medicines used for medical imaging and treatment that allow doctors to diagnose and deliver targeted therapies for diseases such as cancer. A new discussion paper from MTPConnect, ‘From Mines to Medicines. Australia’s Radiopharmaceuticals Future’ reveals how Australia is ready to play a leading role in the…

Perth- based biotech Argenica Therapeutics is developing therapies to treat stroke and other neurological conditions. A new neuroprotective peptide treatment is now being tested for ischaemic stroke patients presenting to emergency departments at 10 hospitals around Australia and is expected to improve patient outcomes by protecting the brain tissu…

Innovators have told us that funding is important but difficult to navigate. The Australian Government is committed to investing billions of dollars into medical research and industry growth, cultivating a culture of translation and improving health for all Australians. So MTPConnect’s Adelaide Intermediary Program kicked off its first SA Insights …

MTPConnect’s Clinical Translation and Commercialisation Medtech (CTCM) program held its first annual Symposium in Sydney recently, bringing together all 11 companies from around Australia who are recipients of CTCM funding to develop new medical devices to improve health and wellbeing. In this episode, host Caroline Duell meets some of these Austra…

The GSK Australia Graduate Researcher Program (GRP) is a 12-month work placement program for PhD graduates supported by MTPConnect's Researcher Exchange and Development within Industry (REDI) initiative showcasing opportunities in the pharmaceutical industry by providing hands-on experience for postdoctoral biomedical/science researchers. Since 202…

The GSK Australia Graduate Researcher Program (GRP) is a 12-month work placement program for PhD graduates supported by MTPConnect's Researcher Exchange and Development within Industry (REDI) initiative showcasing opportunities in the pharmaceutical industry by providing hands-on experience for postdoctoral biomedical/science researchers. Since 202…

As thousands in the medical technology sector headed to Anaheim, California for The MedTech 2023 Conference, MTPConnect was making sure that the 20 companies and organisations joining the Australian delegation were given opportunities to showcase their capabilities and make valuable US and international connections. In this podcast special from Los…

Dubbed the superbug pandemic, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has been recognised by the World Health Organization as one of the top 10 public health threats facing humanity. Effective antibiotics underpin modern medicine and yet, it takes just two to three years for new antimicrobial medicines to become ineffective against superbugs. Worryingly, th…

Many well-known Australian medical innovations have been developed by visionary clinicians – doctors, nurses and allied health professionals – including the cochlear implant and spray on skin. In this special series we continue to explore how medical entrepreneurship can transform healthcare and meet Associate Professor Fiona Brownfoot, a specialis…

Many well-known Australian medical innovations have been developed by visionary clinicians – doctors, nurses and allied health professionals – including the cochlear implant and spray on skin. In part 1 of this double episode, we explore medical entrepreneurship in Australia with Dr Brandon Carp, a Melbourne-based doctor who changed up his medical …

As Australia’s life sciences industry accelerator, MTPConnect’s is backing Australian medical devices of the future through the BioMedTech Horizons Program. It’s a $45 million initiative of the Medical Research Future Fund to bring life-saving medical products from an idea to patients. It’s about nurturing medtech companies through the first valley…

As Australia’s life sciences industry accelerator, MTPConnect’s is backing Australian medical devices of the future through the BioMedTech Horizons Program. It’s a $45 million initiative of the Medical Research Future Fund to bring life-saving medical products from an idea to patients. It’s about nurturing medtech companies through the first valley…

MTPConnect’s REDI Fellowships are improving engagement between researchers and industry and providing fellows with real-world innovation experiences within commercial industry settings. The idea of connecting researchers with industry is critical for the growth of Australia’s medical products sector and so far, 49 Fellows have been selected for ind…

After the international BIO 2023 convention wrapped up with Team Australia, MTPConnect took a tour of global biopharmaceutical company Sanofi’s mRNA Centre of Excellence located in Greater Boston and learnt more about the company’s plans for the Translational Science Hub being set up in Queensland in partnership with the Queensland Government, Grif…

We take you to MTPConnect’s inaugural seminar on 'Australian Women in Life Sciences Leadership - a Global Perspective' held during BIO 2023 in Boston. Founders, CEOs, board executives and managers gathered to discuss the opportunities and challenges faced by women in the biotech industry in a changing global market. The seminar, supported by Sanofi…

Back in June, MTPConnect joined the Australian delegation at BIO in Boston and organised several activities to showcase Australia’s fast-growing life sciences sector to the international biotech industry. With a powerful #TeamAustralia focus and a 430-strong delegation from Australia, BIO2023 was literally the biggest and best to date with over 20,…

Vexev founders, Dr John Carroll and Dr Eamonn Colley met in Sydney as PhD students interested in fluid dynamics. They have turned their talents to investigate blood flows to try and predict vascular disease. They have created an ultrasound-powered imaging robot and software platform — to automatically take fast and consistent 3D scans, to superchar…

ARIA Research is a Sydney-based start-up developing technologies delivering a sense of vision via sound (echolocation) to people who are blind or have low vision. The company’s defining advantage has been its diverse and inclusive team, which incorporates employees and end users living with blindness into every aspect of the project and organisatio…

Tens of thousands of central venous catheters designed for adult bodies are inserted into the delicate veins of newborns in Australian intensive care settings every year for life-saving care. But positioning the catheter tip can be challenging and if not done correctly, can lead to dangerous complications for children who are already critically ill…

ANDHealth specialises in the acceleration of commercialisation of evidence-based digital health technologies through targeted programs and expert support. Their ANDHealth + Program funded by the Australian Government’s Medical Research Future Fund has opened for applications. ANDHealth Co-founder and Chief Product Officer Grace Lethlean explains ho…

In July 2022, Defence launched the 'Safeguarding Australia through Biotechnology Response and Engagement' (SABRE) Alliance, to bring together biotech capabilities from Australia’s universities, research institutes, SMEs and manufacturers to connect them with the needs of the Defence and national security sectors. MTPConnect has played a role in est…

BellaSeno is a clinical-stage medical device company born in Queensland in 2015 and now expanded to Liepzig in Germany. They are developing a next generation fully resorbable breast implant for soft tissue reconstruction, which recently started clinical trials in Australia. We connect with BellaSeno’s Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer Dr Mohit C…

To mark our 150th episode, we are delighted to introduce MTPConnect’s newly appointed Chair, the Honorable Jaala Pulford. A passionate advocate for the medical technology, biotech and pharmaceutical sector, Jaala has a long and distinguished career in government including Minister for Innovation, Medical Research and the Digital Economy. Jaala chat…

The Targeted Translation Research Accelerator (TTRA) program, a Medical Research Future Fund initiative delivered by MTPConnect, launched Round 3 of its Research Projects funding opportunity on 30 January 2023 to support diabetes and cardiovascular disease projects that address the unmet health and medical needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Isla…

It’s three years ago this month that COVID-19 was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organisation. We’ve seen nearly 800 million confirmed cases around the world and nearly 7 million deaths… and there are signs that another wave is underway in Australia as we head into the colder months. But imagine those numbers if we didn’t have the vaccines…

Our Targeted Translation Research Accelerator (TTRA) program, a Medical Research Future Fund initiative delivered by MTPConnect, launched Round 3 of its Research Projects funding opportunity in January 2023 to support diabetes and cardiovascular disease projects that address the unmet health and medical needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islande…

We talk to Sydney-based eye surgeon Dr Sarah Crowe, Founder and Director of 4eyesVision who has invented the 4eyesVision Kit to correct refractive error, the leading cause of blindness in the developing world and provide affordable glasses on the spot for people in remote and developing communities. Dr Crowe shares her clinician entrepreneur story …

MTPConnect’s Targeted Translation Research Accelerator (TTRA) program has opened a new funding round to support diabetes and cardiovascular disease research projects that address the unmet health and medical needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in rural, remote, regional, and urban centres. To develop this Indigenous-specific roun…

For this episode we tap into an international perspective on the digital health sector and the business of healthcare. Lisa Suennen is a US-based entrepreneur and industry advisor. After thirty years in healthcare and seeing little progress in efficiency and optimisation of care, she moved into the digital health space, working as a venture capital…

Australian company Minomic has developed the MiCheck Prostate blood test that uses an algorithm, together with other biomarkers, to estimate the risk of a patient having aggressive prostate cancer. The diagnostic overcomes the low accuracy of conventional screening tests to reduce unnecessary intervention such as painful biopsies and improve overal…

MTPConnect’s Targeted Translation Research Accelerator (TTRA) program will open Round 3 of its Research Projects funding opportunity in early 2023 to support diabetes and cardiovascular disease projects that address the unmet health and medical needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in rural, remote, regional, and urban centres. In …

It’s World Antimicrobial Awareness Week and this year’s theme is “Preventing Antimicrobial Resistance Together”. We chat to Bugworks, a clinical stage pharmaceutical company, headquartered in the US, with subsidiaries in India and Australia, currently developing novel antibacterials and immunotherapies. Bugworks’ Co-founder and Chief Executive Offi…

MTPConnect hits The MedTech Conference in Boston, USA, leading a delegation of 18 Australian companies to showcase Australia’s outstanding innovative medical technologies and capabilities to the world’s largest medtech market. With the creation of the unmissable Australian Pavilion exhibit and a top-level visit program of keynotes and networking ev…

MTPConnect hits The MedTech Conference in Boston, USA, leading a delegation of 18 Australian companies to showcase Australia’s outstanding innovative medical technologies and capabilities to the world’s largest medtech market. With the creation of the unmissable Australian Pavilion exhibit and a top-level visit program of keynotes and networking ev…

CSIRO’s year-round Kick-Start program has helped over 200 early-stage start-ups and small businesses pursue R&D activities by providing access to CSIRO research and capability. This includes help with articulating a company’s research question, connecting businesses with relevant CSIRO researchers and fifty per cent matched funding support to impro…

Inventia Skin is a Sydney-based start-up on a mission to revolutionise wound repair by developing Ligō, a skin printing robot. It delivers rapid and precise regenerative cellular therapy products directly onto a wound and could help to treat difficult to heal skin burns. A number of partners - high profile scientists and physicians - are lending th…