Opinion
Only Victoria has the deep skills to lead on mRNA development
Amanda Caples
Chief scientistAugust 13, 2021 — 1.31pmFor our free coronavirus pandemic coverage, learn more here.
Messenger RNA technology (mRNA) has demonstrated the ability to change the timeline for developing and delivering a new vaccine from years to months.
It represents one of the greatest scientific accomplishments of our generation. Where we place and operate an mRNA vaccine facility is a critical decision for the future of the nation and for the security and welfare of the population.
The Victorian government has announced $50m to fund mRNA style COVID-19 vaccines similar to Pfizer.
The development of an mRNA-based vaccine for COVID-19 took just 63 days from release of the virus sequence to first dosing in humans, leading to accelerated clinical trials and ultimately billions of doses manufactured.
The new mRNA vaccines, including Pfizer and Moderna, have demonstrated benefits of more than 90 per cent efficacy, with minimal side effects, and have been manufactured by two different RNA technology firms to date, with others adding further production capacity.
Like many areas of breakthrough research, mRNA technology has taken 20 -plus years to be an overnight success and there is still much to be done to realise the potential of the technology.
The discovery and development of RNA-based products is still subject to the same, existing limitations chronically afflicting biologics including access to manufacturing for clinical trials and bespoke dedicated manufacturing facilities.
The Victorian government has provided an initial investment of $50 million to establish mRNA Victoria as Victoria’s lead agency to develop pre and clinical RNA and R&D capabilities; building Victoria’s mRNA ecosystem; and develop a supply chain and manufacturing capability.
mRNA Victoria has already funded Australia’s first local mRNA COVID-19 vaccine candidate, providing $5 million to support a collaboration between the Doherty Institute at the University of Melbourne and the Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences to manufacture an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine candidate for early stage clinical trials.
As well as being Victoria’s Chief Scientist, I’m a pharmacologist by discipline. Before joining the Victorian Public Service, I spent the first 15 years of my career in pharmaceutical and biotechnology pipeline development and clinical trials covering biologics as well as small molecules.
Joining me on the Scientific Advisory Group are leaders from across Victoria’s infectious diseases and vaccine community including Professors Sharon Lewin Director of the Doherty Institute, Brendan Crabb Director of the Burnet Institute and Doug Hilton Director of the Water and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research.
If we are to be successful, we should locate the facility in Victoria where we have the best chance of success.
We also have on board award-winning immunologist and virologist Dr Barney Graham Deputy Director of the US Vaccine Research Centre at the National Institutes of Health who has led groundbreaking research on the mRNA vaccine.
We are currently focusing our efforts on the mRNA research and manufacturing ecosystem in Victoria for pandemic response (COVID-19 and beyond).
In parallel to the Scientific Advisory Group we have established an industry panel because we recognise that pharmaceutical manufacturing is a highly specialised field requiring a different set of expertise to discovery research.
Victoria has a long history and experience in leading Australia’s clinical research, drug translation and manufacturing – with 60 per cent of Australia’s pharmaceutical exports from Victoria – making Melbourne the centre of pharmaceutical manufacturing activity in Australia.
The state also leads the nation with 22 globally recognised medical research institutes, and the deep and skilled pharmaceutical manufacturing workforce to mitigate the risk of complex manufacturing processes and ensure successful product delivery.
Victoria has invested over the long term in our biomedical infrastructure and skills base with the largest biomedical research ecosystem in Australia, providing the breadth and depth of related capability. This includes $15 billion in health and bio-medical research.
Building mRNA vaccine manufacturing capability is very, very complex. If we are to be successful, we should locate the facility in Victoria where we have the best chance of success.
We must place it where there is the best medical research ecosystem and support – where we have the best pharmaceutical manufacturing capability.
As Nobel Laureate Peter Doherty has recently said, only Victoria has these deep skills.
Dr Amanda Caples is Victoria’s chief scientist and chair of mRNA Victoria’s Scientific Advisory Board.
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