Australian Life Sciences & Health Care Mission visiting India

New Delhi, September 18, 2014. A 12 member Australian Life Sciences & Health Care delegation is visiting India from 15 to 19 September.

The business delegation is a flagship activity of the Australian Innovation Showcase in India

2014. This is an initiative of the Australian Trade Commission and the Australian Government to promote Australia’s world class research capability and innovative technologies, and to help develop new trade and investment opportunities.

Australia is a global leader in medical science and technologies. With excellent research and clinical facilities, world class scientists, engineers and clinicians and a strong but flexible regulatory regime, Australia offers India breakthrough medical products, services and partnership opportunities.

The Australian Government’s gross expenditure on science, research and innovation was US$8.0 billion in 2013-14. The Australian Government recently announced a US$18 billion Medical Research Future Fund – within six years this will be the largest medical research endowment fund in the world and will see current funding towards medical research double by 2022.

The Australian Life Sciences and Health Care Mission delegates represent leading Australian research institutions, life sciences companies, universities and healthcare advisers. They will meet with Indian industry representatives in Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, New Delhi and Ahmedabad.

The delegates have diverse expertise across neuroimaging and genomics; tropical disease research; translational research focused on cancer and neuroscience; novel inhalable reformulations of generic drugs; biomarker discovery; drug discovery of peptide medicines; novel medical devices; education and training and healthcare infrastructure.

Particular opportunities for partnership are available in oncology, neurosciences, tropical medicines, medical devices, clinical trials and development research. Australia also offers world class healthcare education and training and expertise in hospital and specialised healthcare infrastructure and facilities, including assisted living.

Speaking about the Mission, Nicola Watkinson, Senior Trade and Investment Commissioner – South Asia, Australian Trade Commission said, “ Australia’s research institutions, universities and technology companies are among the best in the world and offer significant potential for partnerships in the life sciences sector. Australia’s advanced innovation framework, coupled with government and business investment in research and development, and a track record of world- class discoveries and outcomes, present cutting-edge collaboration, research and commercialisation opportunities for India ”

“ This is the largest concentration of Australian scientific and research know-how to be showcased in India in the life sciences sector. The interest from India’s life sciences, pharmaceuticals and biotech companies has been overwhelming, signifying the potential for further strengthening Australia – India partnerships ,” said Nicola Watkinson.

A u s tralian Life Sciences and Healthcare Capability

Australia is amongst the world leaders in world-class innovation and research in the field of life sciences. Some of Australia’s prominent innovations include the bionic eye; the bionic ear, known commonly as a cochlear implant; the cervical cancer vaccine; spray-on skin; penicillin as a medical antibiotic; the first artificial pacemaker, etc to name a few. Australia has a track record for highly skilled life scientists and research institutions that pioneer and develop future medical products and therapies.

There is significant research and development in Australia concentrated on human therapeutics that involves five major areas of activity: proteomics and genomics, immunology, oncology, tropical diseases and neuroscience.

The pharmaceutical industry is one of Australia’s largest high tech exporters, earning A$3.9 billion

in 2012-13. It spent A$1 billion on R&D in 2010-11.

Australia’s biotechnology sector had revenues of A$6.3 billion in 2013, making it the 6th largest market globally with over 470 biotech companies.

Australia also has a A$10 billion medical technology industry which includes world class devices, diagnostics, tele-medicine and e-health expertise.

Many international companies have successfully partnered with Australia on research and development and clinical trial development in the life sciences sector including Amgen, AstraZeneca, Baxter, Eli Lilly, GlaxoSmithKline, Merck, Novartis, Pfizer, Roche, Sanofi.

Amgen’s Australian subsidiary contributes ten per cent of clinical trial patients to the organization’s worldwide research pool and has been instrumental in the development of a range of Amgen’s best-selling products.

Sanofi’s vaccine division has recently signed a strategic alliance agreement with an Australian university to co-develop immune boosters and vaccines. The agreement encompasses programs in infectious diseases, microbiology and immunology.

German optical lens manufacturer Carl Zeiss is using Australian innovation to both improve the vision of myopia sufferers, and to slow the progression of the condition.

A u s tralia – India Life Sciences and medical science & technologies partnerships

Indian companies are also increasingly partnering with Australian research institutions and life sciences companies for their R&D programmes, licensing Australian life sciences products and technologies and exploring contract research opportunities with Australian research institutions.

Examples of some recent Australia – India Life Sciences partnerships include:

· Pune based Serum Institute of India partnered with Sydney-based Neuclone to manufacture high quality, low-cost drugs using biosimilars.

• Lupin India also has a strategic licensing agreement with Neuclone Australia for their cell line technology.

· L V Prasad Eye Institute and Australia’s Brien Holden Vision Institute have jointly established The India Vision Institute (IVI) to build optometric services for the 456 million people in India needing vision correction.

Participants

Participants at the Australian Life Sciences & Health Care Mission includes,

1. Professor Louis Schofield, Director, Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine

( A ITHM), James Cook University

2. Dr Gopalkrishna Pai, General Manager, George Clinical

3. Mr Ujjawal Dua, Business & Innovation Manager – Life Sciences, Griffith University

4. Dr Janakan Krishnarajah, Chief Executive Officer, Linear Clinical Research

5. Professor Russell Gruen, Director, National Trauma Research Institute, The Alfred & Monash University

6. Dr Andrew Milner, CEO & Managing Director, Neurosciences Victoria

7. Mr Peter Cox, Chief Executive Officer, PCA Directions

8. Dr Richard Lipscombe, Managing Director, Proteomics Pty Ltd

9. Professor Rajiv Khanna, Group Leader, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute

10. Mr Mark Thyssen, Global Marketing Manager, Signostics Ltd

11. Mr Nick Woolf, Chief Business Officer, SUDA Ltd

12. Mr Darren Wise, Global Engagement Partnership Manager (India), The University of

Queensland

13. Mr Harbans Bariana, Associate Professor, The University of Sydney

The Australian Trade Commission – Austrade – is the Australian Government agency that promotes trade, investment and education, and develops tourism policy and research.

For foreign investment, Austrade works in partnership with Australian state and territory governments to provide investors with information and the right industry and government contacts needed to establish or expand a business in Australia.

Austrade has 11 offices across India and a dedicated life sciences and healthcare team.

Detailed information on the Australian Life Sciences & Health Care Mission is available at:

http://www.austrade.gov.au/local-sites/india/capability-showcases/innovation- showcase/events/australian-life-sciences-and-health-care-mission-to-india

For more information on The Australian Life Sciences & Health Care Mission and for partnerships with Australian life science research institutions and organisations, please email to ind@austrade.gov.au