PERTH, Australia – Australia’s largest health care venture capital firm, Brandon Capital, announced the launch of Australian biotech company Ena Respiratory Pty Ltd., which has developed a nasal treatment to boost the natural immune system to fight common colds and flu and has proved successful in reducing COVID-19 viral replication.

PERTH, Australia – Sydney-based Recce Pharmaceuticals Ltd. completed a placement of AU$27.95 million (US$19.69 million) to advance its synthetic anti-infective pipeline to address antibiotic-resistant superbugs and emerging viral pathogens.

PERTH, Australia – Melbourne-based Telix Pharmaceuticals Ltd. has submitted its first new drug application to the FDA for TLX591-CDx, a radiopharmaceutical targeting prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) for imaging prostate cancer using positron emission tomography (PET).

PERTH, Australia – Australian public health laboratories are collaborating to sequence the virus genomes of all positive COVID-19 tests in Australia to track the virus using genomics across the country. The Communicable Disease Genomics Network (CDGN) and Illumina Inc. will track COVID-19 by using next-generation genomic sequencing technology.

PERTH, Australia – Australian public health laboratories are collaborating to sequence the virus genomes of all positive COVID-19 tests in Australia to track the virus using genomics across the country. The Communicable Disease Genomics Network (CDGN) and Illumina Inc. will track COVID-19 by using next-generation genomic sequencing technology.

PERTH, Australia – With the launch of its lead product, Scenesse (afamelanotide), in the U.S. and Europe, Melbourne-based Clinuvel Pharmaceuticals Ltd. is expanding its global footprint and widening its pipeline as it opens a new R&D center in Singapore and builds up its franchise in photo medicine.

PERTH, Australia – Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) said industry stakeholders supported making in vitro diagnostic (IVD) self-tests available for infectious diseases like influenza but self-tests for cancer and genetic testing for health-related purposes should continue to be prohibited from supply.

PERTH, Australia – Australia’s biopharma sector fared better than the country at large at the end of the financial year that ended June 30, as the country saw GDP fall 7% in the final quarter, the largest drop since 1959. Australia’s trading relationship with China helped the country sidestep the global financial recession of 2008, but the recent divide between the U.S. and China is also putting a wedge between Australia and China relations.

DUBLIN – Spybiotech Ltd. has secured a first vaccine deal for its proprietary Spytag/Spycatcher protein conjugation technology. The Serum Institute of India Pvt. Co. Ltd. (SIIPL) is employing the technology in a COVID-19 virus-like-particle (VLP)-based vaccine, which recently entered a phase I/II trial in Australia. An initial data readout is expected in October or November.