Over six years, AUScelerate’s first Targeted Translation Research Accelerator program quietly reshaped the landscape for heart and diabetes care in Australia, unlocking $220 million in investment and propelling dozens of new treatments, technologies and support services closer to patients.
AUScelerate, formerly known as MTPConnect, is an independent, not-for-profit organisation commercialising Australian life sciences.
The program, outlined in the report, 'Vital Signs: Boosting Australian Innovation in Heart and Diabetes Health', supported the translation of 80 products and solutions from lab concept to clinical testing and community use. It also seeded two new research centres, ACADI and ASHRA, created specifically to address complications from diabetes and cardiovascular disease, and launched a dedicated funding round for First Nations health initiatives.
AUScelerate CEO Stuart Dignam described the program as a practical answer to long-standing problems in life science translation. “Much has been said lately about how to overcome the challenges of life science translation and commercialisation. The impressive results of AUScelerate’s TTRA are a tangible example of how it can be done,” Mr Dignam said.
The initiatives supported by the program span a wide clinical spectrum. Researchers advanced new therapies and treatment strategies for kidney disease, peripheral artery disease, atherosclerosis, stroke, coronary artery disease and heart failure while also developing approaches to improve glucose control and mental health for people living with chronic conditions.
Among the tangible breakthroughs are an oral insulin drug delivery platform, a controller for the BiVACOR total artificial heart, antithrombotic therapies designed to improve stroke care and technology able to detect unstable coronary plaques.
AUScelerate supported the nation’s first helpline providing mental health support via telehealth specifically for adults with diabetes and cardiovascular disease, and helped create a strengths-based, peer-led diabetes support and education program for First Nations youth in the Northern Territory.
These efforts translated into 47 new clinical trials and human participant studies initiated during the program, reaching more than 5,000 participants. The combination of clinical testing, industry partnerships and targeted support structures accelerated products toward practical clinical application while helping researchers and start-ups attract follow-on investment.
AUScelerate credited a wide network of partners and advisors for the program’s success, including the TTRA Expert Advisory Board chaired by Hon. Judi Moylan AO, and partners ANDHealth, the Australian Centre for Health Services Innovation, the Lowitja Institute, the Medical Device Partnering Program and UniQuest.
