Federal Health Minister hails ‘Pill Hill’

(L-R) Mr. Urs Voegeli, Managing Director of Janssen ANZ, Minister for Health & Aged Care the Hon. Mark Butler MP, Susan Martin, Managing Director of Johnson & Johnson MedTech ANZ and Federal Member for Bennelong, the Hon. Jerome Laxale MP.

Australia’s Minister for Health and Aged Care, the Hon. Mark Butler MP met with industry in Macquarie Park – known as ‘Pill Hill’ – yesterday. 

Welcomed by Susan Martin, Managing Director of Johnson & Johnson MedTech ANZ and Urs Voegeli, Managing Director of Janssen ANZ, Minister Butler met industry stakeholders alongside the Federal Member for Bennelong, Jerome Laxale MP.

Minister Butler reflected on the ongoing impact of the global pandemic on health systems, the national significance of Macquarie Park innovation district and the open and collaborative approach of the medical and pharmaceutical workplaces which are based here.

The north Sydney district has a strong focus on pharmaceutical and MedTech R&D, clinical trials, and sales. Leading companies including Johnson & Johnson, Abbott, Novartis and Sanofi are based in the Park, alongside Macquarie University and scale up success stories like Australian diagnostic specialists Minomic International. The NSW State Government will create the State’s first RNA manufacturing facility in the Park.

In a discussion about Australia’s ability to lead advanced medical manufacturing, Minister Butler flagged the Federal' Government’s $15bn National Reconstruction Fund, $1.5bn of which has been earmarked for the development of advanced medical manufacturing.

“Our Government has dedicated billions from the new National Reconstruction Fund to work with companies who want to do advanced manufacturing in Australia”, Minister Butler said.

“While we are alive to the variations of international markets, we are determined to work with people who want to bring manufacturing – including advanced medical manufacturing – to Australia.”

The National Reconstruction Fund will be guided by a Medical Science Industry Working Group, which will include the Macquarie Park-based MedTech Association of Australia.

The timely ‘Pill Hill’ meeting comes just a week before the Labor Government’s budget is handed down in Canberra.