Lately, success stories have originated from anti-tumour protein research and human embryonic stem cells research.
Australian researchers have termed the stem cell research as atherapeutic cloning'. Activities involving drug discoveries show Australia's commitment to gain recognition in the world pharmaceutical scene, writes Frost & Sullivan's Chew Li Sa.
For example, Autogen, a Melbourne based biotechnology company, intends to develop novel drugs to combat lifestyle diseases such as diabetes and obesity. This has resulted in Autogen patenting the Beacon gene. Beacon is considered to be responsible for controlling the appetite in humans. Hence, the next step is to find the right chemical compound capable of blocking this gene's pathway or mode of action.
Worldwide recognition and the potential success has attracted interest from international pharmaceutical partners, such as Lipha, a wholly owned subsidiary of Merck KgaA of Germany. This affiliation has provided Autogen with invaluable scientific and financial support for innovation.
Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer that affects woman worldwide. With no successful cure, innovations are now focusing on the gene therapy approach. Gene therapy is predicted to revolutionise the treatment of cancer in the next decade. Bionomics, an Adelaide-based company working on gene therapy, has identified at least 100 genes as a part of the breast cancer tumour suppressor gene projects. Some of these finding have been patented while others are awaiting approval.
The 2001 Australian Biotechnology report published by the Australian Government confirmed that Australian biotechnology patents registered in the US have increased by 250 per cent in recent years. This is more than double the rate of increase of patents in the rest of the world. In addition, the mushrooming of new research institutions focusing on drug discovery proves that Australia is moving on the right track.
The Federal Government has shown long-term support and commitment to this industry by providing numerous funds and building new infrastructures. A recent example is the allocation of $78.6 million in August 2001 to facilitate initiatives in areas such as proteomics, genomics, neuroscience, stem cell research, and others.
In addition, Australia possesses highly qualified and innovative scientists with more graduates in biotechnology sciences than anywhere in the world.
The evolving biotech industry is attracting Australian scientists back to their homeland. This was made possible through tax incentives and attractive remuneration packages introduced by the Federal Government.
With such a strong international reputation for multidisciplinary scientific excellence, the Australian biotech-pharmaceutical industry is likely to attract more investors.
Major pharmaceutical companies such as Pfizer, GlaxoSmithKline, Pharmacia, and AstraZeneca have already conducted valuable research and established collaborations with local biotech companies, such as Amrad Corporation, PanBio, Autogen, and Bionomics. More companies are expected to establish a base, thereby creating new opportunities to translate research output to commercialisation. u
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