Melbourne-developed drug to get patients off dialysis to be made available thanks to grant

A DRUG capable of preventing kidney failure and getting people off dialysis will be made available to patients following one of the biggest biotechnology grants awarded in Australia.

A MELBOURNE-developed drug capable of preventing kidney failure and getting people off dialysis will be made available to patients following one of the biggest biotechnology grants awarded in Australia.

Patients will get access to Certa Therapeutics’ cutting-edge treatment through medical trials under a $22 million investment from the federal government’s Biomedical Translation Fund, intended to help the breakthrough make it to commercialisation.

MINI-ORGANS USED TO UNCOVER KIDNEY DISEASE GENES

LAB-GROWN KIDNEYS A STEP CLOSER

ROYAL MELBOURNE HOSPITAL’S RECORD KIDNEY TRANSPLANTS

Announcing the funding at a medical research conference in Boston overnight, Health Minister Greg Hunt said the research would not only benefit individual recipients, but help develop local breakthroughs.

“We expect the investment in Certa to bring hope of a longer and better quality life to Australians suffering with kidney disease,” Mr Hunt said.

“Kidney disease is common, harmful, and causes significant costs to individual sufferers and the Australian economy at large.”

The Government’s Biomedical Translation Fund invested its single biggest amount in Certa Therapeutics to jointly fund the late-stage clinical development.

Patients taking the drug are less likely to suffer from kidney failure and have a shorter life on dialysis.

The Biomedical Translation Fund consists of equal parts Commonwealth and industry funding, which Innovation Minister Michaelia Cash said was vital to get leading ideas to market.

“We are putting more of our cutting-edge therapies on the fast track to market, where they are needed by people around the world.

This means more opportunities for businesses to grow, export, and create Australian jobs, and builds a globally competitive, thriving health industry,” she said.