Australia’s Victoria advances mRNA trials with $1.41m grants

The programme has backed 65 projects with $23.9m in investment since 2021.

Australia's Victoria government has allocated $1.41m (AU$2m) in grants to support messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) research projects aimed at advancing vaccines and medicines towards clinical trials.

The funding comes under the mRNA Victoria Pipeline Program, which has supported 65 research projects with $23.9m (AU$34m) in investment since 2021.

Projects supported by the programme include a lupus clinical trial and treatments for bone marrow failure syndrome that are moving closer to clinical trials.

Medical Research Minister Anthony Carbines said the funding would support researchers developing vaccines and medicines.

“We’re cementing Victoria as a global hub for medical research by backing our researchers to advance the next generation of vaccines and medicines,” Carbines said.

Victoria hosts 30% of Australia’s clinical trial sites and is the only place globally where Moderna and BioNTech have established research, development and manufacturing operations.”

Burnet Institute Director and CEO Professor Brendan Crabb AC said investment in mRNA research helps move scientific discoveries into clinical trials.

“This new program will provide an important bridge between promising laboratory discoveries and the clinical trials needed to ultimately improve people’s lives,” Crabb said.

The Victorian government said it has invested more than $704.2m (AU$1b) in health and medical research over the past decade, supporting research activity, jobs, and medical breakthroughs.

(US$1 = AU$1.42)