Telix Pharmaceuticals has officially opened a new radiopharmaceutical research and manufacturing facility in Melbourne, saying the investment will expand Australia’s sovereign manufacturing capability while supporting the development and delivery of new cancer treatments.
According to Telix, the multi-million dollar Telix Manufacturing Solutions North Melbourne (TMSNM) facility is the first in Australia to combine radiochemistry laboratories, clinical product manufacturing, patient dose administration and imaging under one roof.
In a media release, the company said the integrated site is designed to address manufacturing capacity constraints for radiopharmaceuticals, which need to be produced close to where patients receive treatment.
Patient care and clinical research at the facility will be delivered through the Melbourne Theranostic Innovation Centre (MTIC), led by Professor Rod Hicks. The collaboration will include Telix-sponsored studies, investigator-initiated trials and selected third-party research partnerships.
Telix Managing Director and Group CEO Dr Christian Behrenbruch said the facility is intended to strengthen Australia’s ability to manufacture advanced cancer therapies while accelerating the transition of new treatments into clinical use.
“Radiopharmaceuticals are fast becoming an important part of cancer care, but manufacturing capacity for novel treatments, which needs to be near patients, remains a constraint in Australia,” Behrenbruch said.
“This facility will allow us to move new treatments from research into the clinic and patient use more efficiently. It is also an investment in Australia’s sovereign manufacturing capability and the specialist workforce needed to build a globally competitive radiopharmaceutical industry.”
According to the company, the integrated facility is expected to connect research, clinical trials and patient treatment, with the aim of reducing the time required to progress therapies from early-stage development to broader patient access.
Professor Rod Hicks, MTIC founder, chair and chief medical officer, said bringing research, manufacturing and clinical capabilities together could help improve the evaluation of emerging therapies.
“Bringing these capabilities together will give clinicians faster access to novel radiopharmaceuticals and allow emerging technologies to be assessed in a real-world clinical setting,” Hicks said.
“It will help us select patients more precisely, measure treatment response and generate evidence more quickly as we evaluate new targets and next generation isotopes and treatment approaches.”
Telix said radiopharmaceuticals, which can both identify tumours through medical imaging and deliver targeted radiation to cancer cells, are increasingly being recognised as an emerging component of cancer care.
The company added that the new facility will also support workforce development through training in nuclear medicine, radiochemistry, engineering and clinical research, contributing to Australia’s health and life sciences manufacturing capabilities.
