PMT meeting with Clear Vision Research, VivaZome, and CRC-P Partners.
On the 13th of October 2023, members from the Clear Vision Research lab – Associate Professor Riccardo Natoli, Dr. Yvette Wooff, Rimaz Toto and I (Dr Nathan Reynolds) – had the pleasure of attending an in-person PMT meeting hosted by VivaZome Therapeutics at La Trobe University (LTU). This meeting involved an exciting trip from the Australian National University to LTU, where we met with VivaZome Therapeutics, their Cooperative research Centres Projects (CRC-P) partners; including several industry and academic collaborators. This experience served as a vivid reminder of the transformative potential of university-industry partnerships, and I am delighted to share my personal perspective on this remarkable collaboration, made possible through CRC-P grants.
VivaZome Therapeutics Pty Ltd is a privately-held Australian biotech company that aims to develop and commercialise exosome-based therapies for debilitating and/or life-threatening disorders, with an initial focus on neurological disorders, retinal disease and ischaemic conditions. VivaZome is developing new technologies and generating intellectual property that are applicable generically to exosome therapies. These will underpin the Company’s development of specific exosome products for its target indications. The VivaZome team has extensive expertise in the development and commercialisation of biological therapies, together with a wide network of expert contacts in the Australian and global biotech community.
The Cooperative Research Centres Program, initiated by the Australian government, is a driving force behind this collaboration between academia and industry. The CRC-P component of the program encourages short-term, industry-led partnerships to address real-world challenges and deliver economic, environmental, and social benefits. In our case, the support of VivaZome's CRC-P grants has been invaluable in facilitating our partnership, enabling us to combine our resources and knowledge to address age-related retinal degeneration and other neuroinflammatory conditions.
The partnership between our researchers at the Australian National University, VivaZome, the University of Queensland, MTP-Connect, LTU, Cytiva, Seer Pharma, and the support of the CRC-P grant has highlighted numerous benefits of university-industry collaborations, some of which I am particularly passionate about:
Sharing Knowledge: These collaborative discussions have provided a platform to exchange knowledge, techniques, and insights, ultimately enrich our understanding of EV therapies.
Accelerated Progress: Together, the partners of the CRC-P can expedite the translation of research findings into tangible solutions, potentially bringing hope to patients sooner.
Diverse Perspectives: Collaborating with professionals from various backgrounds introduces fresh perspectives and fosters creativity in approaching the development of novel therapeutics.
Economic and Societal Impact: Our partnership has the potential to drive economic growth, create job opportunities, and address significant healthcare challenges, all of which benefit our community.
Our journey with VivaZome, the other partner organisations, and the support of CRC-P grants is a testament to the transformative power of university-industry collaborations. This week’s meeting at LTU has not only brought us closer to our experimental goals but has also allowed me to experience first-hand the impact of knowledge-sharing and teamwork in the process of healthcare innovation. As this partnership continues to evolve, I eagerly anticipate the transformative breakthroughs it may bring to the field of medical research and the countless individuals whose lives may be positively affected by the advancements we are striving to make.
- Dr. Nathan Reynolds