News

Based on a review of quality, safety and efficacy, the TGA approved the registration of ivermectin for the treatment of scabies. Ivermectin is an easy, effective oral treatment for scabies, and is now registered for this purpose in Australia.

LONDON – UK: The Global Health Investment Fund (GHIF) and Medicines Development for Global Health (Medicines Development) announced today a 10 million USD program for the registration of moxidectin for the treatment of river blindness (onchocerciasis). River blindness is a debilitating neglected tropical disease caused by the worm Onchocerca volvulus, which is transmitted through the bites of infected blackflies. The disease affects more than 37 million people, the majority of whom live in poor communities in sub-Saharan Africa. Medicines Development, an Australian not-for-profit pharmaceutical company that licensed the moxidectin data from the World Health Organization (WHO), will undertake the registration process and, should it be successfully registered, will supply this potentially transformative new drug.

The Global Health Investment Fund (GHIF) has committed US$ 10 million to support completing the dossier for the registration of moxidectin for the treatment of onchocerciasis. Medicines Development for Global Health (MDGH), an Australian not-for-profit pharmaceutical company, will be managing the work.

Medicines Development is working on the registration of a new game changing treatment for river blindness and scabies. According to the current legislation, with the registration of the new treatment MDL will be eligible for a Priority Review Voucher from the FDA.

Since August 2011 Medicines Development has been supporting the RV3 Rotavirus Vaccine team at the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute (MCRI) by helping to coordinate the development of MCRI’s novel vaccine to protect newborns from rotavirus infection.

The Department of Microbiology at Monash University and Medicines Development Limited, one of Australia’s specialist providers of development management services for the biotech and pharmaceutical industries, are joining forces to assess a new treatment for Clostridium difficile disease.

Medicines Development and Hatchtech are pleased to announce that Michael Wheatcroft has joined Hatchtech as Senior Development Manager under the Development Manager training and placement initiative supported by the Victorian Government’s Smart SME’s Innovation and Commercialisation Program.

Researchers at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, The Auckland Cancer Society Research Centre, Monash University School of Biomedical Sciences and the Queensland Institute of Medical Research aim to develop a new class of immune-suppressive drugs that protect transplanted bone marrow stem cells against immune destruction.

Medicines Development and Immuron are pleased to announce that Gerhard Rank has joined Immuron as Development Manager under the Development Manager training and placement initiative supported by the Victorian Government’s Smart SME’s Innovation and Commercialisation Program.

Mark Sullivan joins six university vice-chancellors and TAFE bosses and representatives from more than 220 companies on the six day Super Trade Mission, the largest-ever Australian trade mission to India. Medicines Development is representing the Life Sciences sector for the mission, a major sector of the Victorian economy.

Prof. Paul Hertzog of the Monash Institute of Medical Research, in collaboration with Medicines Development, has been awarded a $422,418 Development Grant by the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) to develop sublingual (oral) interferon alpha for the treatment of viral hepatitis. Ninety-seven Development Grant applications were reviewed, with only 16 (16.5%) being funded to commence in 2012.

Ivermectin is an easy, effective oral treatment for scabies, yet is currently not registered or “on-label” for this purpose in Australia.

Medicines Development is pleased to announce that Charlotte Mulder has completed its rigorous Development Manager Training Program and has been successfully placed at Virax Holdings Ltd as a Development Manager. Charlotte is Medicines Development’s first trainee and placement under its Development Manager training and placement initiative supported by the Victorian Government’s Smart SME’s Innovation and Commercialisation program.

Medicines Development is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr Gerhard Rank to support the RV3 Rotavirus Vaccine team at the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute (MCRI). Dr Rank will help coordinate the development of MCRI’s novel vaccine to protect newborns from rotavirus infection.

Dr Bruce Walker, director of the Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard, professor of Medicine at Harvard University, and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator is profiled in this edition of Nature. The article details how Dr Walker convinced philanthropist Terry Ragon and his wife to commit $100m over 10 years to create the Ragon Institute and highlights his continued efforts to transform HIV vaccine research.

Medicines Development is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr Charlotte Mulder to its Development Manager training and placement program. The program is supported by the Victorian Government’s Smart Small to Medium Size Enterprises (SME) Innovation Commercialisation Program (ICP) and aims, over three years, to co-fund the recruitment, training, placement and supervision of specialist product development managers. Each of these managers will be placed into a biotechnology company and receive ongoing mentorship from Medicines Development’s senior managers.

Bob Anderson (CEO Nexpep Pty Ltd), CSO ImmusanT Inc., discussed the results of phase 1 Nexvax2 study at the recent Digestive Diseases Week conference in Chicago, Illinois. For the study Medicines Development provided a full time Development Manager and a part time Project Leader to supplement Nexpep’s own internal resources.

Medicines Development announces that Mark Sullivan has joined the Investment Committee of Auckland UniServices. Auckland UniServices Limited is the largest research and development company of its kind in Australasia and a wholly owned company of The University of Auckland. UniServices manages The University’s intellectual property and is responsible for all research-based consultancy partnerships and commercialisation. Auckland UniServices has an annual turnover of NZ$125 million and over 700 employees.

Medicines Development is now an Approved Supplier for the Small Technology Industry Uptake Program. The STIUP program will gives Victorian businesses the opportunity to increase their competitiveness by using small technologies to explore, adopt and integrate into improved products, processes and services. The STIUP will allow Victoria’s innovative small technology companies to demonstrate and commercialise their goods and/or services to new customers. The Program will provide support through a voucher system which can be exchanged for access to facilities, goods, services, advice or expertise.

Melbourne-based Medicines Development has received backing to train up a handful of development managers to place in therapeutics companies on the commercialisation track. Chief executive and former GSK clinical program head Mark Sullivan spoke to BTN about the company’s approach to mentoring and finding project managers.