The Johnson & Johnson Innovation Partnering Office collaboration – established by Monash University, Johnson & Johnson Innovation LLC and the Victorian government – has been extended. This will mean more novel healthcare solutions will be developed for commercialisation.
Initiated in 2018, the Johnson & Johnson Innovation Partnering Office is a public-private collaboration that enables Victorian researchers and early-stage companies to work with experts on medical products and technologies. It is one of three Partnering Offices in the world.
Aiming to grow Victoria’s medical technologies and pharmaceuticals sector, the collaboration provides commercialisation training and networking support for free, to accelerate life-science research for mass production.
“When medtech, biotech and pharmaceutical businesses innovate, they change lives,” minister for Innovation, Medical Research and the Digital Economy Jaala Pulford said.
“We are delighted to extend our agreement with Monash and Johnson & Johnson Innovation so the Partnering Office can continue to open new doors to hope and recovery.”
The Johnson & Johnson Innovation Partnering Office has worked with emerging pharmaceutical, medical device, healthcare companies and academic researchers.
One of its projects have comprised an Alzheimer’s disease research collaboration with St Vincent’s Institute of Medical Research and Janssen Pharmaceuticals and the QuickFire Challenge competition. This creates opportunities for medtech entrepreneurs.
Another research collaboration between Monash and Janssen Biotech is exploring new methods of diagnosis and treatment for Coeliac disease.
The Johnson & Johnson Innovation Partnering Office has also advanced the development of inhaled oxytocin with Jannsen Pharmaceutica, which prevents postpartum haemorrhage in developing countries. This condition is the leading cause of maternal mortality globally, with an estimated 60,000 deaths occurring per year.
This new form of oxytocin is an inhalable dry powder that does not require refrigeration, making it more efficient to distribute to frontline health workers and potentially administrable by mothers themselves.
Victoria attracts more than 40 per cent of Australia’s medical research funding and Victorian medical technology. Pharmaceutical companies spend almost $1 billion on research every year.
The state government has invested more than $580 million in medical research over the past year, including $400 million for a new Australian Institute of Infectious Diseases. It has separately created a $2 billion Breakthrough Victoria Fund to back the next generation of research and innovation and drive jobs growth.