A global pharmaceutical company will build a drug manufacturing facility in northern Adelaide after receiving $20 million in funding through the latest round of the federal government’s Modern Manufacturing Initiative.
Noumed Pharmaceuticals, part of UK company Noumed Life Sciences, on Thursday revealed plans to build an $85 million facility at Salisbury South, allowing it to locally manufacture around 40 million units of tablets, creams and liquids when the facility opens in 2025.
The company currently manufactures its products offshore but a $20 million grant from the federal government’s $1.3 billion Modern Manufacturing Initiative (MMI) will see the new facility built in Australia and create an expected 180 ongoing jobs.
Noumed is one of five companies to share in $36 million in funding from the latest round of the MMI, which focuses on medical manufacturing, a priority area of the government’s flagship manufacturing program.
Perth-based Avicena Systems received $3 million to scale up manufacturing of its Sentinel COVID-19 screening system, while fellow Western Australia medtech Cyclowest was awarded $2.5 million to expand production of its therapy radiopharmaceuticals which help clinicians diagnose medical conditions, including cancer.
Queensland company Vaxxas received a $4.4 million grant to produce a patch vaccination device that delivers vaccines into the bloodstream via a band-aid like device.
The APAC arm of NASDAQ listed Glucose Biosensor Systems, or GBS, received $6.3 million to build a device manufacturing facility for diagnostic tests.
The grants come from the medical sector portion of the first round of the MMI, and follow an announcement earlier this week of $14 million in grants for the space sector. The remaining priority areas are resources technology and critical minerals processing, food and beverage, recycling and clean energy, and defence.
On Thursday the government said the first funding round would be increased from $140 million to $200 million due to “the strength of applications”.
Minister for Industry, Science and Technology Christian Porter announced the grant recipients in a statement on Thursday.
“Quality medical products are central to any healthy society, but they can also be a centrepiece of a dynamic economy. That’s why we are supporting our manufacturers to grow and realise their potential in this expanding sector,” Mr Porter said.
“Importantly, our investments through our Modern Manufacturing Initiative are also helping to deliver strong job growth, with projects such as Noumed’s in South Australia set to create hundreds of opportunities for local workers.”
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