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

09 December 2022

MTPConnect Announces 16 REDI Fellowships for Industry Roles
Sixteen highly skilled Australian researchers, clinicians and professionals from the medical technology, biotechnology and pharmaceutical sector have secured sought-after industry placements under the REDI (Researcher Exchange and Development within Industry) Fellowship program. The new Fellows will be working for up to 13 months with SMEs and international companies based in Australia, the US, the UK and Europe. Espousing the benefits of the REDI Fellowship is REDI Fellow Associate Professor Ewan Millar, who is the midst of a two-year, part-time project with Paige, a New York-based global leader in Artificial Intelligence-based diagnostic pathology software.

National Diagnostic Action Plan Preliminary Findings Published
MTPConnect’s ADAPT team published its preliminary findings, ‘Diagnosis Testing Sovereign Capability & Supply Chain resistance’. MTPConnect has been engaged by the Department of Industry, Science and Resources (DISR) to develop a National Action Plan for establishing end-to-end sovereign manufacturing capability for diagnostic products in Australia. The project is mid-way to be being delivered in partnership with Pathology Technology Australia (PTA) and supported by HTANALYSTS. The interim report has been developed from Phase I interviews conducted in three states and focuses mainly on manufacturing capabilities. Data from the remaining three states will be analysed in the final report. The ADAPT team were also in NSW, to engage with stakeholders.

AAMRNet and CSIRO Launch AMR Impact Report
We kicked off World Antimicrobial Awareness Week with the release of a new report developed by CSIRO and AAMRNet titled ‘Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Impact Report: How big is Australia’s AMR threat?’. Not surprisingly, it’s much higher than what was previously thought: in the thousands rather than hundreds. MTPConnect, through the Australian Antimicrobial Resistance Network (AAMRNet), and the CSIRO combined resources to develop this report that delves deeper into the data to explore the impact of AMR and how many people die from drug-resistant infections in Australia.

TTRA Webinar: Principles of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Research
TTRA held the first in a series of webinars – ‘Principles of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health research and engaging meaningfully with community’ – ahead of the opening of its Round 3 research opportunity focused on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health in relation to diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Panelists included Professor Alex Brown – Professor of Indigenous Genomics, Australian National University and Telethon Kids Institute. Dr Michelle Kennedy – Executive Manager of Research and Knowledge Translation, Lowitja Institute and Ray Kelly – Accredited Exercise Physiologist/Researcher and creator of ‘Too Deadly for Diabetes’.

TTRA Research Centre ACADI Holds Inaugural Annual Partnering Summit
The Australian Centre for Accelerating Diabetes Innovations (ACADI) held its first Annual Partnering Summit on World Diabetes Day, 14 November 2022. Hosted jointly with MTPConnect’s Targeted Translation Research Accelerator (TTRA) program, the Summit provided an opportunity to connect diabetes research professionals, share commercialisation and translation success stories and ideas.MTPConnect Chair, Sue MacLeman, chaired the session, ‘How Not to Get Lost in Translation’ showcasing the experiences of four TTRA Round One research projects.

MTPConnect Supports Digital Health Delegation to HLTH in US
MTPConnect threw its support behind ANDHealth's Australian delegation to the HLTH Conference and the Australian Pavilion, the world's leading digital health event for health innovation. CEO Stuart Dignam joined ANDHealth CEO Bronwyn LeGrice and the delegation to the US, which included 60 digital health companies looking to showcase their innovations to the US market.

APPLAUSE22 Finale in South Australia
More than 180 innovators, entrepreneurs, leaders, researchers, and changemakers, including MTPConnect’s CEO Stuart Dignam and Chair Sue MacLeman, Chief Scientist for South Australia Professor Caroline McMillen, and Telix Asia Pacific CEO David Cade, gathered for the inaugural Health and Medical Innovation (HMI) ecosystem celebration, APPLAUSE22 in Adelaide. The event was hosted by MTPConnect’s Adelaide Intermediary Program team in partnership with Adelaide Biomed City, Medical Device Partnering Program, and Health Translation SA. Watch the APPLAUSE22 presentation, showcasing South Australians working in research, trialing new innovations, and improving health outcomes.

Pitch’n’ Win and Emerging Leaders Showcase Held in Adelaide
More than 100 delegates at the Drug Delivery Australia #DDA2022 conference attended the inaugural MTPConnect-sponsored session: 'Pitch'n'Win. Hosted by the Adelaide Intermediary Program, team member Dana Bell presented seven delegates to an industry-based panel for a chance to win a place to participate in The Bridge Program 2023. Pitch ideas included treatments, therapies, and devices showcasing novel ideas in weight loss, brain cancer, t-cell immunotherapy, and depression. The Adelaide Intermediary Program also sponsored the 2022 Emerging Leaders Showcase with Director Jo Close and Director of Innovation and Translation present for the event.

Adelaide Industry Leaders Dinner
Our Chair Sue MacLeman welcomed more than 20 South Australian CEO’s and industry leaders to discuss and celebrate the contribution of the HMI sector to SA’s economy. Special guest, Minister for Trade and Investment The Hon. Nick Champion MP, shared the Government’s future focused vision in the areas of advanced manufacturing, attracting and retaining talent, strengthening and supporting #commercialisation, and supporting workforce development. Guests also heard presentations from Adelaide Intermediary Program Director Jo Close, the Executive Director Department for Industry, Innovation & Science, Andrew Dunbar and the Director for Health and Medical Innovations for the Department for Trade and Investment, Mark Wheeler.

November SA Insights Series
The Adelaide Intermediary program’s Stephanie Morris chatted with Carina Biotech’s CEO Dr Deborah Rathjen and Tenmile’s Executive Chair Dr Steve Burnell for their final Insights Series of the year at the University of Adelaide.

WA Life Science Innovation Hub partners with AndHealth
Our WA Life Science Innovation Hub announced a new partnership with ANDHealth to support the WA-based digital health sector to build momentum and seize commercial opportunities on offer. ANDHealth launched the WA Connected Health Commercialisation Initiative, in collaboration with our WA Life Sciences Innovation Hub, a partnership with MTPConnect, the WA Government Department of Jobs, Tourism, Science and Industry, and the University of Western Australia to deliver a “turbocharged” pilot of its targeted commercialisation programs to the WA digital health sector. Companies will have access to global and national digital health expertise through ANDHealth’s BRIGHT Ideate & Innovate programs, a series of expert workshops and one-on-one coaching sessions, alongside the establishment of a dedicated ANDHealth program office in WA.

WA Spotlight Series With Recce Pharmaceuticals
WA-based Recce Pharmaceuticals took to the stage for WA Life Sciences Innovation Hub’s final Sector Spotlight event at Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research. Rebekah Craggs was in the hosting seat, taking attendees through the Recce Pharmaceutical journey, from R&D to funding and beyond, discussing the importance of building new antimicrobials to fight the problem of antimicrobial resistance.

BioMedTech Horizons Team Visit Projects in NSW and Victoria
The BioMedTech Horizons (BMTH) team visited Queensland and New South Wales to catch-up with five BMTH awardees for project progress updates. The BMTH team visited IntelliDesign and WearOptimo in Queensland, and Merunova, Kunovus Technologies and VenstraMedical in New South Wales. At IntelliDesign , the team checked out the prototype development of a Low Field portable MRI instrument for patient bedside imaging, and at WearOptimo, the team received a progress update on development of the hydration and cardiac microwearables to use in clinics that aim for real-time, minimally-invasive personalised diagnostics.

CTCM Program Kicks Off Round One Project Meetings
CTCM recently met with Round One awardees, Navi Medical Technologies and Eudaemon Technologies, for in-person project kick-off meetings and site visits. In Melbourne, Navi is developing the Neonav®, a device that helps guide and monitor a catheter’s position in newborns and young children, and the visit included a tour of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at The Women's. The team also visited Eudaemon at its base at IDE Group headquarters in Sydney, and toured facilities. Using an advanced material, Eudaemon is developing an innovative new generation condom to disrupt the existing contraception on the market and offer an alternative for sexual health & wellness.

Case Study: WA's VeinTech Is Finding The Right Vein, First Time, Every Time
Our November case study highlighted VeinTech, a WA-based medical device company developing the VeinWave, a ultra-portable hand-held vein imaging device which aims to help clinicians successfully target the right vein, first time, every time.

MTPConnect sponsors award at Australian Technologies Competition
Our Director Stakeholder Engagement NSW and ACT, Dr Duncan Macinnis presented the award to My Medic Watch, winner of the HealthTech category at the 12^th annual Australian Technology Competition Awards ceremony held in Sydney. The event was again sponsored by MTPConnect.

2022 SA Science Excellence and Innovation Awards
MTPConnect was a proud sponsor of the 2022 SA Science Excellence and Innovation Awards, attending the event and celebrating the South Australian science innovation community.

2022 Prime Minister's Prizes for Science
The twelve 2022 prize recipients were announced by the Hon Anthony Albanese MP, Prime Minister of Australia and the Hon Ed Husic MP, Minister for Industry and Science. Seer Medical's Dr Pip Karoly, a founding member of the company, received the 2022 Prize for New Innovators for greatly advanced global understanding of epilepsy. Seer Medical is a BioMedTech Horizons Program awardee. SpeeDx Co-founders, Adjunct Professor Alison Todd and Dr Elisa Mokany, received the 2022 Prize for Innovation for the commercialisation of their highly advanced molecular diagnostic tests for cancer and infectious diseases. SpeeDx is a Biomedical Translation Bridge Program awardee.

Little Green Pharma wins Australian Export Award
WA-based Little Green Pharma took out the International Health category in the 60th Australian Export Awards. Little Green Pharma (LGP) is pioneering Australian grown and manufactured medicinal cannabis and its medications assist thousands of patients. It has secured export access to Germany, France, UK, Italy, New Zealand and Brazil. The award was presented to CEO Fleta Solomon by MTPConnect Chair Sue MacLeman at an event at Parliament House in Canberra.

MTPConnect Sponsors Monash BDI Winning Pitch Award
Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute (BDI) held its annual Industry Showcase with more than 70 attendees from industry, the Victorian Government and biomedical science research community. The event provides an opportunity to promote Monash BDI’s growing pipeline of discoveries to domestic and international industry partners and offers the spotlight to early career researchers (ECRs) to showcase their research. Dr Gerard Gibbs, BioMedTech Horizon’s Program Director was on hand to present the award to winner, Anika Vear, in the ‘So You Think You Can Pitch?’ competition

Farewell to Libby Pearce
A huge thank you to Libby Pearce, our Communications and Digital Projects Manager who is moving on after 3.5 years with MTPConnect. She will be missed by all staff, and we wish her all the best for the future.