In Case You Missed It: Here’s What The MTPConnect Team Has Been Up To in July

10 August 2022

Pictured: MTPConnect’s CEO Stuart Dignam with Rod Cutler during a visit to Stryker.

CTCM Launches Second Funding Round for Medical Devices
The Clinical Translation and Commercialisation Medtech (CTCM) Program, a Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) initiative delivered by MTPConnect, launched its second funding round which will open in September 2022. Up to $1.5m in funding is available and applications are sought from Australian small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) developing homegrown medical devices. An information session with program partners, Cicada Innovations, Medical Device Partnering Program and Medical Technology Association of Australia, will be held at QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute in Brisbane on 23 August 2022.

MTPConnect Supports Australia New Zealand Leadership Forum
MTPConnect CEO Stuart Dignam joined the Australia New Zealand Leadership Forum in Sydney, to discuss future health and commercialisation opportunities for medtech, pharma and biotech and digital health innovators. The Forum was attended by 15 Ministers and over 300 business leaders and officials from Australia and New Zealand, including the Prime Ministers of Australia and New Zealand.

REDI Supports ANDHealth’s Masterclass ‘ACCELERATE’ 2022
ANDHealth hosted their 2022 Masterclass supported by our REDI program. ACCELERATE is an intensive accelerator program designed specifically for companies seeking to commercialise evidence-based digital health products.

MTPConnect Supports the Australian Technologies Competition Healthtech Category
The Australian Technologies Competition, now in its 12th year, is an internationally recognised national awards and international growth support program for technology scaleups. MTPConnect is again sponsoring the Healthtech category in partnership with the Department of Science and Industry. It comprises a three-stage national competition for sector awards and Australian Technology Company of the Year, high calibre mentoring from successful technology entrepreneurs and senior corporate executives, an International Growth Masterclass and access to partner and investor connection events.

Podcast Features ‘Super vax’ and CARB-X on Antimicrobial Resistance
Our first episode in July kicked off with Professor Jamie Triccas from the University of Sydney Institute for Infectious Diseases on developing a low-cost vaccine candidate to tackle COVID-19 variants with international consortium Bharat Biotech and ExcelleGene, supported by the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI). And podcast co-hosts Caroline Duell and AAMRNet co-chair Andrew Bowskill chatted with Boston-based CARB-X Chief Scientist Dr Richard Alm about their global mission to fund development of new antibiotics and life-saving products to counter drug resistant bacteria.

REDI Hosts Healthtech Investor Workshop Series
Our REDI initiative hosted three Investor Workshops to demystify investing in healthtech. The free in-person investor-only events took place in three cities with Dr Duncas Macinnis hosting the Sydney event, Jo Close and Stephanie Morris panelling the Adelaide event and our COO, Lisa Dube chairing the Melbourne panel. Speakers included The Sydney Angels and Southern Angels.

Bridge and Bridge Tech Industry Fellowships announced
Twenty Pharmaceutical and MedTech researchers, entrepreneurs and innovators were awarded industry-based fellowships to boost skills, gain hands-on industry experience and make connections to boost their commercialisation skills. The Bridge and BridgeTech Industry Fellowships, facilitated by QUT and funded by MTPConnect’s Researcher Exchange and Development within Industry (REDI) initiative for the Australian Government’s Medical Research Future Fund, provide up to $10,000 to support these placements within industry.

Case Study: Garvan Creates Australia’s First Cancer Genomics Testing Service
Our July case study highlighted BioMedTech Horizon awardee, The Garvan Institute for Medical Research and the development of a comprehensive cancer genomics platform with a single cost-effective test. The new test is now available for use in routine clinical care through SydPath at St Vincent’s Hospital, Sydney.

SA Insight Series Features LBT Innovations
The Adelaide Intermediary Program hosted its second SA Insights Series in July with MTPConnect’s Stephanie Morris in conversation with LBT Innovations’ CEO Brent Barnes and Scientific Director Dr Steven Giglio, discussing their first product, Automated Plate Assessment System (APAS) using artificial intelligence to help speed up detection of antimicrobial resistance, improve antibiotic stewardship and ultimately help patients get the treatment they need. The Series is held in conjunction with Adelaide Biomed City and the Government of South Australia.

WA Life Sciences Innovation Hub Spotlights AIQ Solutions
WA’s monthly Spotlight event held at Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research in Perth featured AIQ Solutions President and CEO Eric Horler, who spoke with Dr Tracey Wilkinson about spinning out a startup, raising equity and using artificial intelligence in nuclear medicine and oncology.

Adelaide Intermediary Program Hosts Biobanking Workshop
Our Adelaide Intermediary Program team members, Jo Close and Dana Bell, hosted a workshop on the future of Biobanking in South Australia. The session was held in partnership with the Office of the Chief Scientist South Australia, Health Translation SA and Adelaide Biomed City.

MTPConnect Stakeholder Report for TGA Published
In November 2021, The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) commissioned MTPConnect to conduct a stakeholder review of the regulatory framework for gene, cell and tissue therapies in Australia. This report, Cell, Gene and Tissue Regulatory Framework in Australia: Stakeholder Perspectives, was published in July and includes MTPConnect’s findings and the TGA’s proposed response to the major recommendations.

Stryker Visit
MTPConnect CEO Stuart Dignam visited global medical technology company Stryker in Sydney, catching up with Rod Cutler and touring the University of Sydney (UTS) Stryker Training facility for research, training and education in spine, cranial and trauma surgery. They discussed opportunities for applied medical technology for surgical skills training and better patient care.

Australia-China Science and Innovation Forum
Our Director Stakeholder Engagement Queensland, Andrew Bowskill, attended the Australia-China Science and Innovation Forum and gave an update on AARMNet and its activities as Australia’s first multi-stakeholder expert group formed to address the impact of antimicrobial resistance on human health.

Australian Defence Science, Technology and Research Summit (ADSTAR)
CEO Stuart Dignam joined a panel at ADSTAR in Sydney to discuss biotech sovereign capability and opportunities in health security, working with Defence agencies and national agencies to protect Australians.

TIA partners with AAMRNet to accelerate therapeutic development research
TIA is using its Pipeline Accelerator scheme to enable 15 researcher and industry projects to access a range of specialist Australian translational medical research infrastructure. For the 2022 round, additional funding has been provided by the MTPConnect-operated Australian Antimicrobial Resistance Network (AAMRNet) to support three research projects targeting antimicrobial resistance (AMR).

The Graham Clark Oration
Our COO Lisa Dubé represented MTPConnect at the 2022 Graham Clark Oration in Melbourne and heard Dr Natalia Trayanova speak about how biomedical engineering is helping to revolutionise cardiac management. The event celebrates advances in health and medical research that impacts people around the world and showcases world leaders in health and medical research.

MTPConnect Welcomes Back Team Member
In July we welcomed back Tori Mynard after she spent time working with the BMTH program as an intern. She joins the REDI team in the role of Associate Project Manager, working with Jarrod Belcher.

Growing the Team at MTPConnect
As MTPConnect’s activities continue to expand, we launched recruiting for a number of roles including Project Manager – Diagnostics Industry Engagement, working with Dr Dharma Mistry to develop a national Action Plan for diagnostics tests, and the role of Manager Stakeholder Engagement to be part of our WA Life Sciences Innovation Hub.