Six Australian companies developing vaccines, antiviral treatments, and vaccine-production technologies will share $10.48 million in Biointelect Venture's first funding round.
The Venturer is a national incubator intended to help turn early-stage infectious disease research into investable commercial ventures.
Recipients include projects targeting malaria, Group A Streptococcus, Epstein–Barr virus and respiratory infections, along with platforms designed to speed the development of vaccines against mosquito-borne and respiratory viruses.
Biointelect Venturer said the non-dilutive funding will be accompanied by up to two years of commercialisation support, mentoring and access to Australian and international networks.
The program was established with a $32.9 million Medical Research Future Fund grant under the federal government’s Medical Research Commercialisation initiative.
The inaugural cohort reflects the breadth of Australia’s infectious disease research base and the difficulty many early-stage biotechnology ventures face in moving from promising science to a stage where private investors and commercial partners will commit.
Among the funded companies is ENA Respiratory, which is developing INNA-051, a nasal spray intended to boost the airways’ natural antiviral defences. The product is aimed particularly at older people and those with chronic health conditions who are at greater risk of complications from respiratory viruses including RSV, coronavirus and rhinovirus. The company sees the treatment as a possible complement to vaccination, not a replacement.
SAMMvax has received support for TriVax, a trivalent vaccine designed to provide broad protection against Group A Streptococcus, or Strep A. While the bacterium commonly causes sore throats and skin infections, it can also lead to severe disease including sepsis, rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease. The project has particular relevance in Australia, where rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease disproportionately affect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
Saccharide Therapeutics is advancing ST101, a malaria vaccine designed to target a structure that remains consistent across malaria species and across stages of the parasite’s life cycle. The company believes that this may offer broader protection than existing approaches and could contribute to global efforts to reduce the burden of a disease responsible for hundreds of millions of infections each year.
Ebivanta Therapeutics is developing an mRNA vaccine against Epstein–Barr virus, which infects more than 90 per cent of people globally and is associated with glandular fever, several cancers and autoimmune conditions including multiple sclerosis. A successful vaccine could potentially prevent infection and reduce the longer-term burden of diseases linked to the virus.
The remaining two recipients are building technology platforms with applications beyond their initial vaccine candidates.
Proboxis Biotechnology is developing a vaccine production platform for mosquito-borne viruses, beginning with Japanese encephalitis. The platform may later be applied to dengue, Zika, yellow fever and West Nile virus, potentially expanding Australia’s capacity to respond rapidly to existing and emerging infectious disease threats.
AdaptiVax is working on a virus-like particle vaccine platform initially targeting RSV, human metapneumovirus and parainfluenza virus. These viruses are major causes of respiratory illness and hospitalisation, particularly among young children and older adults. The company’s broader ambition is to adapt the platform for other RNA viruses and strengthen local vaccine development and manufacturing capability.
Biointelect Venturer received 48 expressions of interest for the first round. An independent investment review committee assessed applications before due diligence considered risk, investment potential and the likely value of tailored commercialisation support.
Danielle Shand, general manager of Biointelect Venturer, said the cohort represented the kind of high-quality Australian innovation the incubator was created to support.
She said promising health technologies often encounter a critical gap between research success and commercial readiness, particularly when early investment conditions are difficult.
Leah Goodman, Biointelect’s chief executive, said the program would combine funding with practical support on development strategy, clinical and regulatory pathways, market access and global partnering.
The incubator plans to open its second national funding round on 21 September, inviting further expressions of interest from Australian innovators developing technologies to prevent infectious disease.
