BioMedTech Horizons Impact Reports
MTPConnect has been engaged by the Department of Health (DoH) since October 2017 to operate the $45 million BioMedTech Horizons (BMTH) program for the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF).
The BMTH initiative supports the development of innovative collaborative health technologies, drives discoveries towards proof-of-concept and commercialisation that address key health challenges and maximises entrepreneurship and idea potential.
New BMTH Impact Report - Rounds 2, 3 & 4
As the second phase of the BioMedTech Horizons (BMTH) program moves to completion, a new report has captured the outcomes of the 38 innovations supported through the program.
Launched in May 2017, the BMTH program is an initiative of the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) designed and delivered by MTPConnect to support early-stage medical device developments to move towards commercialisation.
The impact report covers the second, third and fourth rounds of BMTH which saw $30.3 million in funding awarded, leveraging an additional $36 million in contributions from industry.
To date, notable achievements include eight products that are currently in use including:
- 3DMorphic makes patient-specific 3D-printed titanium implants for spinal fusion. 3DMorphic has achieved a world-leading turn-around time of five days to design and manufacture patient-specific implant devices, achieving TGA regulatory approval and ARTG listing for three products. These products have been used in more than 100 patient cases.
- Artrya secured regulatory approval in Australia, New Zealand, the UK and Europe for its cloud-based, AI-driven Salix software product used to identify high-risk vulnerable plaque formation in patients with coronary heart disease at risk of heart attack.
- Neuromersiv received TGA approval of its Ulysses virtual reality rehabilitation system for upper limb rehabilitation following stroke, acquired brain injury or spinal cord injury. The system is in use in rehabilitation clinics in Australia and the UK.
- ZiP Diagnostics received TGA approval for the export of the ZiP-CoVx-P2 assay test and export of the ZiP-P2 instrument, and "Manufacturers' Evidence" approval, which supports the export of the ZiP Diagnostics test to the EU. ZiP Diagnostics also received European registration/approval of the ZIP-CoV-2 assay. The ZiP Diagnostics platform has comparable sensitivity to lab-based PCR tests, but the tests can be done in a fraction of the time and cost, and at the point of care. The instrument and the diagnostic assay are manufactured in Australia but are currently not available or approved for use in Australia.
- Seer Medical launched the Seer Health App, a digital diary that tracks historical epilepsy seizure events and interventions such as medication usage and can forecast epilepsy seizure risk profiles for users incorporating physiological signals from the FitBit smart watch. It is the first epilepsy risk forecasting tool available to patients.
Further details about all the 38 BMTH projects and the impact of the program are outlined in the new BMTH Impact Report - Round 2, 3 & 4 released on 29 August 2023.
Download the BMTH Impact Report - Rounds 2, 3 & 4
BMTH1 Impact Report
The BMTH program comprises four funding rounds, the first of which – BMTH1 – concluded activities on 29 October 2021 and is the subject of this first Impact report.
Of the 11 projects identified and funded as part of BMTH1, nine successfully completed their program of works resulting in clear advancement of their devices toward achieving their research and commercialisation objectives.
Through a series of case studies, this Impact report highlights the many successes these projects have had, developing exciting new medical products – from a 3D printed ceramic cervical spinal cage and a bioprinting treatment for cartilage injuries to next-generation CAR-T technologies to fight cancer and a microwearable sensor that reads body signals and biomarkers.
Notable achievements include:
- WearOptimo securing $30 million to manufacture its smart sensor technology at an advanced technology facility in Brisbane – for worldwide distribution
- Carina Biotech selling IP licences to the international biopharmaceutical company, Biosceptre
- Anatomics initiating a United States commercial launch of their 3D printed facial implants
- The Garvan Institute selling the fully validated Oncomine Cancer Genomics platform to SydPath
- The Bionics Institute establishing a commercial relationship with a world leading audiology medical device company for their EarGenie product
- Indee Labs generating over $1 million in revenue from top tier pharmaceutical companies.