Biotherapeutics
Stem cell treatments and regenerative medicine
Australia has been counted among leaders of stem cell biology for many decades, undertaking groundbreaking research in areas such as vitro fertilisation technology and bone marrow transplantation.
Stem cells offer the possibility to treat disease and disability that have been considered irreparable until now. Therapies deriving from stem cells are a type of regenerative medicine that seeks to prevent, halt or reverse damage to vital organs, which can develop from disease, injury or genetic conditions.
These therapies show potential in diabetes, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, certain cancers and the repair of damaged organs such as the heart, brain or blood vessels. There is hope that stem cell therapies could one day reverse spinal cord damage and treat neurodegenerative diseases.
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Biopharmaceuticals
Biopharmaceuticals are drugs or components of drugs concerned with biological sources. They include vaccines, blood or blood components, , somatic cells, gene therapies, tissues, recombinant therapeutic protein and living cells.
Australia’s bio-pharmaceuticals industry includes around 50 global research-based pharmaceutical companies and more than 400 locally-owned medical biotechnology firms operate in Australia. Together, they employ in excess of 40,000 highly-skilled Australians, generate nearly $4 billion in exports each year (25% more than the car industry), invest over $1 billion in research and development (R&D) and deliver medicines and vaccines that millions of Australians use every day to live longer, healthier and more productive lives.
Biologics and biosimilars
Biologics and biosimilars are transforming the treatment of many conditions. They can provide an alternative to patients who have not benefitted from other treatments and can reduce strain on the current healthcare system.
There is growing demand for biologics and biosimilars, as consumers and companies call for lower-cost healthcare solutions.
Read more about biologics and biosimilars.
Personalised medicine
Personalised medicine defines treatment according to the patient’s genotype and phenotype, enabling clinicians to determine a patient’s suitability for a given treatment and reducing the potential for side effects.
While the same treatments and diagnoses may not be effective for all patients in a population, tailored approaches offer improved disease management to deliver benefits at individual, societal and economic levels.