La Trobe University to host mRNA and AI facilities

Global biotechnology company BioNTech has announced plans to develop and commission a state-of-the-art mRNA clinical-scale manufacturing facility at La Trobe University’s Melbourne campus in Bundoora, in an agreement facilitated by the Victorian Government.

BioNTech is focused on utilising the potential of the immune system by developing investigational immunotherapeutic treatment methods including mRNA-based vaccine candidates to fight cancer and other diseases. The planned facility at La Trobe is intended to support researchers to develop investigational mRNA-based treatment options as well as manufacture investigational candidates for clinical trials in the Asia–Pacific region.

“This partnership means more mRNA expertise in our state, more treatments for people with hard-to-treat cancers and 1200 more local jobs,” said Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan.

The state government has also announced funding to establish a new Victorian Centre for AI in Medical Innovation (CAMI) to sit alongside the planned BioNTech facility, which will develop and apply innovative AI solutions and provide pathway opportunities for researchers and students in this rapidly evolving field. CAMI will be led by La Trobe’s Research Chair of AI, Professor Wei Xiang, who said it will be the world’s first university research centre to specialise in the application of cutting-edge AI to Nobel Prize-winning mRNA technology.

“La Trobe is already world-leading in AI and digital innovation, including applying AI to disease modelling and using AI to predict and model the impact of treatment on cancer growth,” Xiang said.

“The Victorian Centre for AI in Medical Innovation will greatly speed up the process of translating medical breakthroughs into cost-effective and widely accessible personalised cancer vaccines and treatments.”

La Trobe Vice-Chancellor Professor John Dewar AO said he was delighted that La Trobe had been selected as the location for the two new facilities, stating, “The planned BioNTech manufacturing mRNA facility will connect groundbreaking research and developments in mRNA vaccines and therapies with La Trobe’s research expertise.

“Complementing the planned facility, the Victorian Centre for AI in Medical Innovation will apply La Trobe’s world-leading expertise in AI and health to mRNA technology.”

BioNTech co-founders Professor Uğur Şahin (Chief Executive Officer) and Professor Özlem Türeci (Chief Medical Officer), who visited La Trobe in October, said they chose Victoria for their Australian clinical manufacturing base because the state is highly active in mRNA research.

“The planned BioNTech facility will establish La Trobe as a centre of a new mRNA technology, providing access not only to its own researchers but also access to collaborators from across Australia and the world,” Şahin said, with Türeci adding that establishing the BioNTech facility at La Trobe aligned with the university’s focus on research and development.

“Giving access to the newest, evolving technologies for mRNA treatment will allow researchers here in Melbourne and Victoria to make a significant contribution to mRNA vaccine and therapy development,” Türeci said.

With ground breaking on the BioNTech site planned for 2024, BioNTech intends to progress the development of investigational mRNA-based medicines and other product candidates with the aim to treat up to 4000 cancer patients in Australia and New Zealand over a 10-year period. BioNTech and La Trobe University will also explore opportunities for La Trobe students to gain experience with BioNTech scholarships, fellowships and similar arrangements.