A Step Forward For Biotech In New Zealand

19 May

“The government has made a pragmatic and future-focused investment in mRNA technology,” says Dr William Rolleston, director of South Pacific Sera in Timaru.

Today the government budget announcement included $40.7M over four years for RNA research and development through to pilot manufacturing.

“RNA technology will become as ubiquitous in medicine as the MRI scanner is today. The development of the mRNA COVID vaccine has been a robust proving ground for the technology which can be applied well beyond vaccines to cancer, genetic and autoimmune diseases. RNA technology has the potential to reduce the burden on the health system in many areas and improve the lives of hundreds of thousands of New Zealanders” Dr Rolleston said.

“Our primary industries also stand to benefit from a home grown capability in RNA technology. We will have the ability to address New Zealand challenges such as Mycoplasma bovis which don’t attract overseas solutions.”

South Pacific Sera is New Zealand’s leading biologics manufacturer in the pharmaceutical space providing manufacturing capability to the Vaccine Alliance Aotearoa New Zealand – a consortium of institutions across New Zealand including the University of Otago, Victoria University of Wellington, Avalia Immunotherapies and led by the Malaghan Institute.

“South Pacific Sera is well positioned to contribute its expertise and capability to the mRNA platform and we look forward to the opportunity to work with our VAANZ partners, the government and other institutions across New Zealand to bring the platform to reality.” Concluded Dr Rolleston.

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