CSIRO’s new vaccine factory to fight Covid, next pandemic

The CSIRO’s new vaccine factory will help fast track experimental vaccines from the lab into people’s arms.

Australia is now prepared for the next pandemic, with the CSIRO opening a laboratory capable of turning experimental vaccines into products that can be manufactured in large quantities for clinical trials.

The $23.1 million facility is a game changer, providing the “missing link” in the nation’s biomedical science sector.

And for the first time, promising Australian research breakthroughs will be able to push through the scientific “valley of death”.

“The problem facing our biomedical industry has been that most vaccine and drug candidates needed to be sent overseas to be produced in large quantities for clinical trials, adding burdensome costs that have crushed many Australian businesses and researchers as the invention languishes on the lab bench,” CSIRO’s chief executive Dr Larry Marshall said.

The laboratory will mass produce its first experimental vaccine candidate in January, a protein-based vaccine for Covid.

Later next year, it will begin manufacturing a cancer vaccine for a clinical trial.

CSIRO's lab will strengthen Australia's ability to translate and commercialise research. Picture: Supplied

The facility was completed with funding from the Federal and Victorian governments and will be officially opened on Thursday by Minister for Industry and Science Ed Husic.

Research director for Biomedical Manufacturing, Professor Susie Nilsson, said the facility was constructed in accordance with the current licensing requirements of the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration.

Companies and researchers around the country will be able to access the facility.

“In this particular facility we’ll make vaccines and therapeutics in a mammalian or an insect background, so they are protein based or viral based vaccines,” she said.

However, the CSIRO also is currently building an additional facility to open in a couple of years that will be able to make mRNA vaccines.

Originally published as CSIRO’s new vaccine factory to fight Covid, next pandemic