Victorian Govt and BioNTech partner on mRNA manufacturing

Victorian Minister for Economic Growth and Jobs Danny Pearson officially opened BioNTech’s research and development mRNA manufacturing facility last month, and also attended a topping out ceremony of the company’s neighbouring state-of-the-art clinical mRNA manufacturing facility.

The milestone follows the opening of BioNTech’s Innovation Centre in Melbourne last year and the launch of a new Clinical Trial Oncology Platform that is improving access to certain next-generation investigational cancer treatments.

The R&D manufacturing facility will produce research-grade RNA to accelerate the translation of research into clinical use, while the clinical mRNA manufacturing facility — set to be completed by the end of 2026 — will deliver next-generation mRNA vaccines and treatments for clinical trials. The facilities are key components of Victoria’s strategic partnership with BioNTech, which is set to create 1200 jobs over the next 10 years and boost economic growth across the state.

“This is a pivotal moment for Victoria as we advance our capacity to deliver cutting-edge mRNA treatments to patients faster than ever before,” Pearson said.

Both facilities are located at La Trobe University’s Bundoora campus — with the clinical mRNA manufacturing facility an anchor tenant of La Trobe’s new University City precinct — and will enable research and development into various diseases, supporting the translation of research into medical breakthroughs. In particular, the R&D manufacturing facility will partner with researchers and biotech companies from across Australia, the Asia–Pacific region and globally to accelerate the translation of research into clinical use.

“The opening of our R&D facility and the construction of our clinical mRNA manufacturing facility demonstrate BioNTech’s commitment to turning innovative science into meaningful treatments for patients,” said BioNTech Chief Operating Officer Dr Sierk Poetting. “By collaborating with Victoria’s strong life sciences sector, we are building the infrastructure needed to support clinical trials and advance the development of mRNA-based medicines.”

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