Category: Future of MedTech
Impact of MedTech – Colleen O’Neill-Mullins’ Story
3DMEDiTech available for local device, part and component collaborations
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Early reports from Europe and North America indicate that 3D Printing is uniquely capable of rapid local deployment to assist in preventing these shortages. However, when doing so, ensuring that the highest levels of clinical, engineering, regulatory and supply certainty are met is essential.
Based in Melbourne, 3DMEDiTech (www.3dmeditech.com) operates one of the only – and certainly the largest – ISO13485 certified medical 3DPrinting manufacturing facilities in Australia.
This facility has significant manufacturing capacity in a cleanroom environment and is completely geared to produce mass personalised medical devices.
3DMediTech and its constituent businesses units (SmileStyler and Serkel) stand ready to assist medical device companies to locally manufacture the devices and components our health system may urgently require as part of the national and global response to the pandemic.
3DMEDiTech CEO, Grant Enders said, “We think these collaborations will work best where medical device companies concerned about their supply chain work with us in advance to secure a solution which ensures seamless clinical efficacy and regulatory certainty.”
3DMEDiTech’s fleet of installed 3DPrinters includes:
- SLS (Selective Laser Sintering) equipment capable of printing medical grade plastic devices / parts.
- State-of-the-art PolyJet 3D Printing equipment platforms capable printing models and parts in a wide range of digital material configurations.
- High volume DLP (Moving-Light) acrylic photopolymer 3D Printing capacity which can be applied to many applications, like critical spare parts.
3DMediTech operates with a medical device-grade controlled cleanroom manufacturing facility. Their team of engineers are 3D Printing design and manufacturing veterans, and also have significant experience with Metal 3D Printing of medical devices.
The company’s clinical and research partners include Melbourne University and St Vincent’s Health Australia. they are foundation industry partners of the Australian Research Council Training Centre for Medical Implant Technologies “CMIT.”
3dMEDiTech co-founder Paul Docherty said, “3DMEDiTech’s core business is manufacturing Personalised Medical Devices where we have developed and own the IP and are the device sponsor. We do not normally seek contract manufacture of medical devices. This offer of collaboration is very much about our shareholders, board, management and employees wanting to actively contribute to the Australian MedTech sector’s ability to save lives during this crisis.”[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
How well maintained is medical equipment in hospitals?
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- NSW Auditor-General’s Report: Performance Audit – Medical equipment management in NSW public hospitals, May 2017
The NSW Auditor General found that: “Only about half the items of equipment included in our sample had testing and maintenance completed according to scheduled intervals or within 30 days of the scheduled date. These intervals were set under the Australian/ New Zealand Standard 3551 ‘Management programs for medical equipment’, which requires regular testing and maintenance of biomedical equipment to ensure it is safe and suitable for clinical use.”
While AS/NZS 3551 may have stipulated a 30-day time frame for completing maintenance within the scheduled date in its previous 2004 version, it no longer specifies any time frame for completing maintenance in its current 2012 version. Instead it states in section 6.7.2 When assessment and testing are delayed: “Where medical equipment is identified as beyond its anticipated re-assessment date, the responsible organization [i.e., hospital] shall be advised that service and testing are overdue. The medical equipment shall be made available at a mutually acceptable time to the clinical user and the service entity to allow assessment of the medical equipment to bring it into compliance.”
An open-ended “mutually acceptable time” for the hospital and the service entity may not be acceptable to ensure the safety of patients. Since the standard does not require that the decision to delay be appropriately approved and documented (justification, approver with management responsibility), it is likely that nobody will feel accountable for maintenance delays.
The audit report also found that: “The information systems used to record service histories of biomedical equipment were inefficient and inadequate for effective planning, monitoring and reporting of testing and maintenance. The implementation of a state-wide asset management system, Asset and Facilities Management Online (AFM Online), which will replace existing systems, has experienced delays. In addition, hospitals did not maintain adequate oversight of testing and maintenance that was outsourced to external contractors.”
Inefficient and inadequate information systems for medical equipment management coupled with slack requirements in AS/NZS 3551:2012 are a very bad combination indeed, likely to result in poor maintenance practices and adverse events.
It is not clear why the 30-day time frame for completing maintenance within the scheduled date was removed from AS/NZS 3551:2012. This change is not even listed in the PREFACE on page 2 of the standard along with other “principal differences”; is it really such a negligible change?
- Victorian Auditor-General’s Report: Efficiency and Effectiveness of Hospital Services – High-value equipment, February 2015
The audit of the Victorian Auditor General’s examined the effectiveness and efficiency of planning, delivery and utilisation of high-value imaging equipment in Victorian public hospitals such as CT and MR, and found that public CT and MR imaging services “are not being managed economically, efficiently or effectively across Victoria”.
The report concludes that: “Poor medical equipment asset management practices in public health services exacerbate a lack of planning at the health-system level. None of the six public health services visited had an asset management plan that included imaging equipment. The health services could not communicate to the department—or clearly identify—what their future imaging needs would be over the medium to longer term. This means that although future demand is set to increase, it is not clear at either the health-system or health-service level how that demand might best be met.”
The Auditor General’s report does not mention the AS/NZS 3551 standard at all, but the Victorian Department of Health refers to AS/NZS 3551:2004 in its Medical equipment asset management framework – Parts A and B of 2014 and Part C of 2012. Section 4.2 Maximise the effective life of the asset states: “The maintenance requirements of specific items are determined by the original equipment manufacturer guidelines (as described in the service or maintenance manual) and Australian and New Zealand Standard (AS/NZS) 3551 — Technical management programs for medical devices.”
It is not clear whether the maintenance and management programs for medical equipment have been audited by the Victorian Auditor General at all.
- Western Australian Auditor General’s Report: Management of Medical Equipment, May 2017
This audit assessed whether the management of medical equipment in public hospitals is efficient and effective. The audit report points out that: “Medical equipment can be technically complex and require specialist expertise to use, maintain and repair. It generally has an expected life of between 5 and 10 years depending on the type of equipment. The actual life will also depend on a wide range of factors including how often it is used, how reliable it is and how well it is maintained. The unavailability or failure of equipment can present significant risks to patients, staff and service delivery – risks that the health system needs to manage. Individual health service providers and hospitals are responsible for managing their own equipment, including planning, acquisition, maintenance, repair and disposal.”
The audit report concludes: “Equipment failure or unavailability due to repair or maintenance rarely has a serious impact on patient care. However, it does cause incidents and inefficiencies. The risk of adverse events was also increased because preventative maintenance for 16% of equipment we sighted was not done on time, and yet the un-serviced equipment remained available for use. Keeping to maintenance schedules is even more important as 36% of equipment we sighted across our 8 sample hospitals had exceeded its expected life.”
The AS/NZS 3551 is not mentioned in the audit report at all, however the Western Australian Department of Health’s policy for the management of medical equipment of 2019 quotes AS/NZS 3551:2012 as the underlying basis for compliance.
The current approach of State health policies in relation to medical equipment management and maintenance practices appears to be particularly inward looking, with little or no acknowledgement of international best practices like those described in the:
- international standard ISO 55001:2014 Asset management – Management systems;
- international standard IEC 62353:2014 Medical electrical equipment – Recurrent test and test after repair of medical electrical equipment;
- WHO Health technology management resources, encompassing a series of guides published since 2011 (see Figure), including:
- Procurement process resource guide
- Medical equipment maintenance programme overview
- Computerized maintenance management system
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$4.9 MILLION FOR COLLABORATIVE HEALTH AND MEDICAL RESEARCH
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The latest round of funding through the Government’s National Health and Medical Research Council’s (NHMRC) Partnership Projects scheme will fund six projects.
The Government’s investment is matched by Partner Organisations, demonstrating a joint commitment to bringing the best and most up-to-date research discoveries to the Australian community.
The University of Melbourne will receive over $415,920 to assess suicides in public places that have become known as ‘suicide hotspots’. The research will provide practical guidance on how best to deal with suicide hotspots.
Suicides at hotspots have a massive ripple effect on the loved ones of those who have died, and are traumatic for those who live or work at these sites. Almost a third of all suicides occur in locations that are or may become hotspots, and there may be as many as 120 hotspots in Australia.
The research team will collaborate with five Partner Organisations that fund, deliver, advise on and advocate for interventions to prevent suicides in public places.
The University of Newcastle will receive $734,163 to improve antenatal care to prevent excess weight gain.
Weight gain outside recommended levels during pregnancy contributes to a range of adverse outcomes for the mother and child, including gestational diabetes, pre-eclampsia, preterm birth and obesity.
Despite guidelines recommending routine weighing and weight gain care being provided by antenatal services, 50-70% of women gain weight outside recommended levels during pregnancy.
The University of Sydney will receive $1,108,389 to develop the Get Health Coaching Service to reduce the burden of low back pain.
Australia spends $9 billion annually on low back pain management. The proposed approach aims to improve health services and processes in low back pain management, at low cost, and be readily implementable across Local Health Districts in NSW.
These grants will support our health and medical research workforce, providing opportunities for more health advances and for direct impact on Australians’ quality of life.
A list of recipients can be found on NHMRC’s Partnership Projects web page. [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
HOW WELL MAINTAINED IS MEDICAL EQUIPMENT IN HOSPITALS?
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NSW Auditor-General’s Report: Performance Audit – Medical equipment management in NSW public hospitals, May 2017
The NSW Auditor General found that: “Only about half the items of equipment included in our sample had testing and maintenance completed according to scheduled intervals or within 30 days of the scheduled date. These intervals were set under the Australian/ New Zealand Standard 3551 ‘Management programs for medical equipment’, which requires regular testing and maintenance of biomedical equipment to ensure it is safe and suitable for clinical use.”
While AS/NZS 3551 may have stipulated a 30-day time frame for completing maintenance within the scheduled date in its previous 2004 version, it no longer specifies any time frame for completing maintenance in its current 2012 version. Instead it states in section 6.7.2 When assessment and testing are delayed: “Where medical equipment is identified as beyond its anticipated re-assessment date, the responsible organization [i.e., hospital] shall be advised that service and testing are overdue. The medical equipment shall be made available at a mutually acceptable time to the clinical user and the service entity to allow assessment of the medical equipment to bring it into compliance.”
An open-ended “mutually acceptable time” for the hospital and the service entity may not be acceptable to ensure the safety of patients. Since the standard does not require that the decision to delay be appropriately approved and documented (justification, approver with management responsibility), it is likely that nobody will feel accountable for maintenance delays.
The audit report also found that: “The information systems used to record service histories of biomedical equipment were inefficient and inadequate for effective planning, monitoring and reporting of testing and maintenance. The implementation of a state-wide asset management system, Asset and Facilities Management Online (AFM Online), which will replace existing systems, has experienced delays. In addition, hospitals did not maintain adequate oversight of testing and maintenance that was outsourced to external contractors.”
Inefficient and inadequate information systems for medical equipment management coupled with slack requirements in AS/NZS 3551:2012 are a very bad combination indeed, likely to result in poor maintenance practices and adverse events.
It is not clear why the 30-day time frame for completing maintenance within the scheduled date was removed from AS/NZS 3551:2012. This change is not even listed in the PREFACE on page 2 of the standard along with other “principal differences”; is it really such a negligible change?
-
Victorian Auditor-General’s Report: Efficiency and Effectiveness of Hospital Services – High-value equipment, February 2015
The audit of the Victorian Auditor General’s examined the effectiveness and efficiency of planning, delivery and utilisation of high-value imaging equipment in Victorian public hospitals such as CT and MR, and found that public CT and MR imaging services “are not being managed economically, efficiently or effectively across Victoria”.
The report concludes that: “Poor medical equipment asset management practices in public health services exacerbate a lack of planning at the health-system level. None of the six public health services visited had an asset management plan that included imaging equipment. The health services could not communicate to the department—or clearly identify—what their future imaging needs would be over the medium to longer term. This means that although future demand is set to increase, it is not clear at either the health-system or health-service level how that demand might best be met.”
The Auditor General’s report does not mention the AS/NZS 3551 standard at all, but the Victorian Department of Health refers to AS/NZS 3551:2004 in its Medical equipment asset management framework – Parts A and B of 2014 and Part C of 2012. Section 4.2 Maximise the effective life of the asset states: “The maintenance requirements of specific items are determined by the original equipment manufacturer guidelines (as described in the service or maintenance manual) and Australian and New Zealand Standard (AS/NZS) 3551 — Technical management programs for medical devices.”
It is not clear whether the maintenance and management programs for medical equipment have been audited by the Victorian Auditor General at all.
-
Western Australian Auditor General’s Report: Management of Medical Equipment, May 2017
This audit assessed whether the management of medical equipment in public hospitals is efficient and effective. The audit report points out that: “Medical equipment can be technically complex and require specialist expertise to use, maintain and repair. It generally has an expected life of between 5 and 10 years depending on the type of equipment. The actual life will also depend on a wide range of factors including how often it is used, how reliable it is and how well it is maintained. The unavailability or failure of equipment can present significant risks to patients, staff and service delivery – risks that the health system needs to manage. Individual health service providers and hospitals are responsible for managing their own equipment, including planning, acquisition, maintenance, repair and disposal.”
The audit report concludes: “Equipment failure or unavailability due to repair or maintenance rarely has a serious impact on patient care. However, it does cause incidents and inefficiencies. The risk of adverse events was also increased because preventative maintenance for 16% of equipment we sighted was not done on time, and yet the un-serviced equipment remained available for use. Keeping to maintenance schedules is even more important as 36% of equipment we sighted across our 8 sample hospitals had exceeded its expected life.”
The AS/NZS 3551 is not mentioned in the audit report at all, however the Western Australian Department of Health’s policy for the management of medical equipment of 2019 quotes AS/NZS 3551:2012 as the underlying basis for compliance.
The current approach of State health policies in relation to medical equipment management and maintenance practices appears to be particularly inward looking, with little or no acknowledgement of international best practices like those described in the:
- international standard ISO 55001:2014 Asset management – Management systems;
- international standard IEC 62353:2014 Medical electrical equipment – Recurrent test and test after repair of medical electrical equipment;
- WHO Health technology management resources, encompassing a series of guides published since 2011 (see Figure), including:
- Procurement process resource guide
- Medical equipment maintenance programme overview
- Computerized maintenance management system
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People living with diabetes now have broader access to blood glucose monitoring products in Australia
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Diabetes is considered an epidemic in Australia, with 1.7 million Australians living with the condition and a further 280 people diagnosed each day.
“While pharmacy remains the key access point for products that are reimbursed via the National Diabetes Services Scheme (NDSS) and to seek advice, it is evident that many Australians are simply not managing their diabetes effectively and we want to ensure that access is not a barrier,” said Ms Jane Crowe, General Manager, Roche Diabetes Care Australia.
“We are committed to innovation, not only in our product development, but also in ways in which consumers can access them. Given this range is not reimbursed via the NDSS, no form is required to purchase the products, enabling us to establish the partnership with Woolworths and broaden availability.
“As the market leader in diabetes monitoring, we are passionate about understanding the needs of people with diabetes and offering them broad access to encourage regular self-management,” said Ms Crowe.
Roche Diabetes Care has been pioneering innovative diabetes technologies and services for more than 40 years. Being a global leader in integrated personalised diabetes management, we work every day to support people with diabetes and those at risk to achieve more time in their target range and experience true relief from the daily therapy routines.
Under the brand Accu-Chek and in collaboration with partners, Roche Diabetes Care creates value by providing integrated solutions to enable optimal personalised diabetes management.
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3D PRINTING – A JOINT SUCCESS STORY FOR BOTH AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY AND REGULATORS
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Historically, much has been made of Australia’s record of innovation in medical devices and pharmaceuticals. Inventions such as the Cochlear Implant, the vaccine to protect against cervical cancer, spray-on skin and penicillin have long attracted the attention of medical professionals and the public.
Parallel to this, Australia has developed a world-class regulatory regime that facilitates patients’ access to these inventions both here and overseas, while maintaining high standards of public health and safety.
Not long ago, the 3D printing of medical devices – the personalisation of a device to suit an individual’s unique physical characteristics and medical needs – seemed like science fiction. Now it’s a reality, and Australia is leading the way, quietly maybe, but in a manner that is delivering to patients, Australian businesses and the economy.
As ever, this is thanks not only to cutting edge Australian scientific and manufacturing ingenuity, but also regulatory innovation, creating frameworks that help facilitate access to safe high quality products.
Since 2017, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has been working towards a modernisation of the regulatory regime to achieve this. With that process now rapidly heading towards implementation, new classifications of medical devices will provide novel regulatory pathways onto the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods (ARTG) for mass “personalised” medical devices, which were previously categorised within the much broader “custom medical device” category.
This ground-breaking regulation will support a business environment that encourages innovation and investment, whilst facilitating Australian businesses to export their devices to the markets that need them. The TGA has clearly recognised technological changes in 3D printing and the impact this has had on the market for 3D-printed medical devices.
This is particularly reflected in the harmonisation of definitions relating to personalised medical devices, with the International Medical Device Regulators Forum (IMDRF), agreed in November 2019. This development is extremely important for Australian businesses. The global leadership demonstrated by the Australian TGA, led in this role by Dr Elizabeth McGrath, cannot be overstated. In short, it is Australian regulators who have set the gold standard now being implemented by their peers across the world.
For pioneering Australian companies, international harmonisation facilitates access to new markets and broadens existing ones. It supports further innovation by giving greater confidence that new devices will reach sufficient markets to support the investment needed to develop them, as well as local manufacturing facilities to produce them.
This harmonisation of the regulatory approach to 3D printed and personalised medical devices is an achievement of which the Australian Government, the Minister for Health Greg Hunt, and the TGA should all be justly proud. If, as expected, the Australian regime is the first of the IMDRF-harmonised regimes to accept applications for Personalised Medical Devices to enter the ARTG, there is a very real prospect that some of the most sophisticated medical device companies from around the globe will now consider an Australia-first lodgement strategy to facilitate the fastest possible pathway to certifying safety, efficacy and conformity prior to global export.
3DMEDiTech is one Australian company poised to take advantage of the new regulatory pathway onto the ARTG and international equivalents. This Melbourne-based company aims to deliver customised 3D printed devices and manufacturing services to the health sector across the Asia Pacific region and beyond.
Each medical device the 3DMEDiTech develops requires significant research and development to allow it to be rapidly mass personalised according to the prescription of the patients health care provider. This includes mapping and interpreting the full spectrum of the clinical problems the device aims to address, the development and application of novel algorithms, and finding solutions to significant design, material and engineering problems.
Once all those challenges are addressed, the multidisciplinary collaboration of clinicians, engineers, mathematicians, programmers and technicians needs to ensure that the devices can be produced at scale for thousands of people. The workflow is entirely digital. This means that they can deliver the fastest and most accurate design and delivery of customised devices to healthcare providers and their patients.
3DMEDiTech has also partnered with world-leading clinical and research partners including Melbourne University, St Vincent’s Health Australia, Orthokids and Ivoclar Vivodent. The company also recently joined as foundation industry partners of the Australian Research Council Training Centre for Medical Implant Technologies “CMIT”, headed by the University of Melbourne’s Professor Peter Lee.
Printed devices developed and manufactured in Australia by 3DMEDiTech include prescription clear aligners for by dental clinicians, orthoses for prescription by orthotists and prosthetists, plagiocephaly helmets (used to help infants’ heads form properly), leg braces and ankle foot orthotics.
While much of 3DMEDiTech’s work is still pre-clinical and not in the public domain, several of their lower risk-class devices are already in market and have been spun out into stand-alone commercial entities.
SmileStyler® www.smilestyler.com.au makes prescription-only clear aligners which has uniquely solved the primary clinical problem that had faced both dental professionals and patients.
Serkel® https://serkel.org/ makes personalised orthoses for prescription by orthotists and prosthetists which include plagiocephaly helmets (used to help infants’ heads form properly), bracing and ankle foot orthotics.
There is enormous demand for these products across Asia Pacific. Australian excellence in the research, development and manufacture of these first-rate devices is evident, and recognised. So too is the role of the TGA in enhancing the reputation for safety and efficacy of the companies and devices they regulate.
The TGA has recognised the opportunities that exist not just for patients, but for Australian businesses in 3D printing, and has taken a global leadership role in advancing personalised medical devices. However, to fully realise the capabilities and ingenuity of Australian companies like 3DMEDiTech, an effective regulatory system is essential.
3DMEDiTech’s founder, Paul Docherty, said: “Our company operates at the forefront of this rapidly growing sector. But we couldn’t do that if the regulations weren’t being put in place to ensure market access and help achieve a return on the substantial investment necessary. In helping deliver international harmonisation in how to define and regulate these emerging devices, the TGA has helped support Australian businesses and jobs. It’s made it possible for companies like ours to continue leading the way in the research, design and production of outstanding printed, personalised medical devices for patients across Asia Pacific.”
Like all industries, there are rogue operators in 3D printing, but the TGA’s work ensures that unscrupulous companies do not undermine patients’ wellbeing and that companies like 3DMEDiTech thrive, delivering innovation, value and better clinical outcomes both to the Australian economy and health system.
Few people recognise what has been achieved in this field in the last three years. That is a mistake – it’s an Australian success story in the making, and another triumph in the distinguished history of Australian medical innovation. It deserves to be celebrated.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
MEDTRONIC SEEKING PARTNERS IN INNOVATION
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]For the first time in Australia, Medtronic Australasia will host Eureka LIVE in collaboration with AusBiotech’s premier medical technology conference AusMedtech 2020 from 20-22 May at the Melbourne Convention Centre. Applications are being called from in-market or ‘launch ready’ medtech companies who are looking for opportunities to scale their product innovations globally.
“Medtronic has the tools and experience to collaborate with inventors across a broad range of innovative ideas,” said Tim Fortin, Vice President and Managing Director, Medtronic Australasia. “We have a proven track record of bringing new products to market, by combining our research, engineering, and commercial competencies to deliver meaningful innovations at the therapeutic, procedural, and healthcare system levels.
“At Medtronic, we believe patient-focused innovation – and strong partnerships – remain key to an even better, more impactful future. We are confident that an approach focused on ANZ, which protects inventors and enhances opportunities to collaborate on innovation development, will yield excellent results and push medical technology forward,” Mr Fortin said.
Following the application process, shortlisted companies will showcase their innovations to delegates attending AusMedtech 2020 – both as part of the main Conference program and through Exhibition space at the event – before moving on to targeted and exclusive deep-dive sessions with global Medtronic executives. Successful companies will then be invited to connect with the Medtronic global network to accelerate and fund appropriate opportunities to market in the pursuit of improving community-wide health.
Eureka LIVE aims to promote innovations that add real value for better patient outcomes at appropriate costs, which are validated by solid clinical and economic evidence:
- innovation for patients, like device technology or remote sensing and monitoring;
- innovation for hospitals, like data-driven insights to improve processes and predictive analytics to inform patient selection and management;
- innovation for health systems, like algorithms and data integration to produce system intelligence and transform system performance.
To apply, please visit: https://www.medtronic.com/au-en/c/eurekalive.html
Hosted by Medtronic Australasia, Eureka LIVE is supported by AusBiotech and the MedTech Actuator. It builds on Medtronic’s commitment to supporting local innovation through its web-based portal Medtronic Eureka, also hosted in collaboration with The Medtech Actuator.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
$22.3 million funding support for health and medical research
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]An initiative of the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) and operated by MTPConnect, the BTB program is offering up to $1 million to support development and commercialisation of new biological, pharmaceutical, medical and health technology projects.
MTPConnect will open its next round of funding for the $22.3 million Biomedical Translation Bridge (BTB) program, on Monday, 17 February.
This is the second round of the BTB program. Round one, announced in December 2019, saw eight projects selected to share in funding of $5.9 million following a competitive application process.
MTPConnect Managing Director and CEO, Dr Dan Grant, says the BTB program is a unique opportunity for Australian innovators to take their research to the next stage along the translation and commercialisation pathway.
“We’re looking to support SMEs and research organisations conducting research projects that provide innovative solutions in any disease area using any therapeutic modality or medical technology,” Dr Grant adds.
“With applications only open for three weeks, from Monday, the Australian research community needs to move quickly to take advantage of the substantial funding on offer.”
MTPConnect is delivering the BTB program in partnership with BioCurate (Melbourne and Monash Universities), UniQuest (University of Queensland), the Medical Device Partnering Program (led by Flinders University) and the Bridge and BridgeTech programs (Queensland University of Technology).
The BTB program is uniquely positioned to provide applicants with expert mentoring from these partners, that provides scientific expertise and commercial acumen to support projects in their translation to proof of concept.
“The successful projects we invest in through the BTB program will lead to new therapies, technologies and medical devices to improve the health of Australians and deliver real impact to people all over the world,” Dr Grant explains.
Opening Monday 17 February, applications to the BTB program will be open until 5:00PM (AEDT) on Friday, 6 March 2020. Details can be found at the BTB page.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
