MELBOURNE, Australia, 13 October 2022 – Cartherics, a biotechnology company developing immune cell therapies for the treatment of cancer, has opened today a brand-new state-of-the-art facility to strengthen the company’s research and manufacturing capabilities, as well as support local innovation. Cartherics invested AU$4M in the newly designed and built facility, which includes PC2 and dedicated tissue culture laboratories, clean rooms and biobanking facilities.

The new R&D facility was officially opened today, 13 October by the Hon. Jaala Pulford MP, the Victorian Minister for Innovation, Medical Research and the Digital Economy.

With the establishment of these new PC2 laboratories, Cartherics intends to expand its platform technologies to develop a pipeline of products to drive new industry in Australia and move into the regional and international marketplace with products to treat cancers.

The facility will also allow Cartherics to run research programs and develop prototype manufacturing processes for Contract Manufacturing Organisations (CMOs) to manufacture product to support clinical trials locally, bringing more access to clinical trials for Australian patients.

Located in the Ferntree Place Precinct in Notting Hill, the 18,600 sq ft lab will host Cartherics’ 45+ management, scientists and support staff. The new facility incorporates offices and 580 m2 (6,243 sq ft) of certified PC2 and cell culture laboratories housing the newest technology equipment. It includes  incubators for cell growth and expansion, flow cytometry, PCR, cell manufacturing, counting and sorting equipment, dedicated rooms for low temperature storage, 156 m2 (1,679 sq ft) of cleanroom laboratories and a dedicated biobanking facility.

The company also plans to sub-lease part of the space to other companies to develop their own technologies. Adjacent to Monash University’s main campus, the facility will bring together early-stage companies, academia, and government, creating a research ecosystem to foster and develop Australian innovation.

Cartherics’ current partners include Monash University, Cell Therapies Pty Ltd, Hudson Institute of Medical Research and Mesoblast Pty Ltd. Together, they are completing this November a very successful CRC-P grant from the Commonwealth Department of Industry and Science to develop “off the shelf” stem cell immunotherapies for ovarian and gastric cancers.

More recently, Cartherics and partners Monash University, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Central Adelaide Local Health Network and Cell Therapies Pty Ltd were awarded an AU$5.4M Medical Research Futures Fund (MRFF) grant to develop a new approach to enhance cancer therapy by engaging the patients’ own immune system using CAR cell therapy.

To date, Cartherics has successfully raised more than AU$30M from international and Australian investors, plus more than AU$8M in grant funding, including the Cooperative Research Centres Projects (CRC-P) grant, which completes in November 2022.

CEO of Cartherics, Professor Alan Trounson AO, says “I am delighted to be opening Cartherics’ first R&D facility in Victoria. This is an important step for our company as we grow closer to achieving our goal of developing immunotherapy solutions for the treatment of cancers. This wouldn’t be possible without the support of our partners and the Commonwealth and Victorian Governments, which have always believed in our mission of creating cutting-edge innovation to improve patients’ lives”.

Cartherics Media Contact:

Ana Luiza Harrop

WE Communications

E: anah@we-worldwide.com

M: +61 452 510 255