IDT Australia misses out on federal mRNA support

While Canberra has announced an ‘in-principal’ agreement with US company Moderna to manufacture mRNA vaccines in Victoria, Melbourne pharmaceutical and vaccine manufacturer IDT Australia has announced it has been informed that it has missed out on government support.

The company said today it was disappointed that its proposal to establish mRNA manufacturing in response to Canberra’s ‘approach to market’ (ATM) had not been selected to proceed to the next stage of the process.

However the company still has a number of irons in the fire.

Canberra has confirmed that its application for funding under Canberra’s modern manufacturing initiative collaboration stream remains live, and is unaffected by the outcome of the approach to market which favoured the foreign company.

CEO David Sparling said: “Whilst we are disappointed in the outcome of the ATM process, IDT has developed and progressed several alternative strategic options.”

Sparling said IDT had successfully delivered on its project with the Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences which is developing an indigenous Covid-19 mRNA vaccine candidate.

IDT will manufacture the ‘mRNA Covid-19 receptor binding domain’ vaccine candidate for clinical trailing.

It will utilise its sterile manufacturing facilities which were made ready and held available for the purpose under a contract with the federal department of health.

MIPS mRNA Covid-19 vaccine will be Australia’s first locally developed Covid-19 mRNA vaccine to advance to clinical trials – which are hurdles the vaccine still has to pass before being approved for use in the community.

Picture: IDT Australia

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