Sanofi’s $280m research facility to drive mRNA vaccine development
Dr Jean-Francois Toussaint, Global Head of Vaccine Research and Development, Sanofi, and Queensland Deputy Premier, Steven Miles, announcing the new mRNA vaccine research facility at a press conference last week.
Macquarie Park headquartered healthcare company Sanofi (Talavera Road) will develop a new Australian research facility dedicated to mRNA vaccine development.
Sanofi – a proud Connect Macquarie Park Innovation District member - is one of the world’s largest vaccines innovators, with 20 research and development sites around the world, including mRNA Centres of Excellence in France and the United States.
Sanofi’s incoming Translational Science Hub will utilise laboratories and infrastructure at the University of Queensland, Griffith University and the Translational Research Institute (TRI). Supported by the Queensland Government, research is expected to start as early as 2023.
The $280 million research facility will promote collaboration between Australian scientists and their global peers on ground-breaking mRNA technology and vaccine development.
This includes a new generation of vaccines that can trigger certain cells to produce proteins that are recognised by the immune system to mount a defence. A world-first vaccine for Chlamydia is also on the agenda.
Karen Hood, country Lead for Sanofi in Australia and New Zealand, celebrates this collaboration:
“For Sanofi, collaboration is absolutely critical when combatting disease.”
“We are proud to invest in Australia and work as partners to harness cutting-edge science to forge a new era in medical innovation.”
Sanofi is already a major supplier of 17 vaccines, with seven on the Australian National Immunisation Program (NIP). By linking global expertise with its Australian knowledge bank, Sanofi seeks to nurture an Australian science ecosystem.
Competition among states for dominance in the rapidly evolving mRNA landscape is heating up, with Victoria wooing Moderna to start manufacturing in Melbourne and a major announcement from the NSW Government expected soon.
