a2 Milk donates $950k to coronavirus vaccine development

The a2 Milk Company will donate more than $950,000 to Australian research teams to help develop a vaccine to stop the spread of coronavirus.

The a2 Milk Company will make donations to the University of Queensland and the Doherty Institute for coronavirus research. Picture: AAP

The a2 Milk Company is donating more than $950,000 to help Australian researchers develop a vaccine for coronavirus.

The company will donate $NZ500,000 ($476,765) to both the University of Queensland’s School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, and the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, which is a joint venture between the University of Melbourne and the Royal Melbourne Hospital.

The donations are in addition to previous support announced by a2 for Chinese people affected by the virus, including:

$5 MILLION RMB ($1,068,652) of a2 dairy products to medical teams and families affected.

$5 MILLION RMB ($1,068,652) to the Shanghai Red Cross.

a2 managing director Geoffrey Babidge said the company had “enormous sympathy with the Chinese people”.

“We believe that in addition to providing support on the ground for Chinese families through product donations and financial support for the local Red Cross, the most effective way for us to assist the Chinese people and the global community is to provide funds that will help independent scientific researchers develop an effective vaccine for this virus,” Mr Babidge said.

“Together with our strategic partner in China, China State Farm, we have started delivering product to the medical centres most in need in Hubei Province including in the city of Wuhan.”

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Doherty Institute director Professor Sharon Lewin and University of Queensland vice-chancellor and president Professor Peter Høj both thanked a2 for the donation, saying it would contribute significantly to their efforts in developing a vaccine.

“The research team at University of Queensland is progressing a Coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine program and the support from The a2 Milk Company will help us enormously as it will supplement the huge costs associated with the vaccine development,” Professor Høj said.