SA Premier launches $1.5M high tech lab for APAC clinical trials

Pharma News: Australia’s largest and most technologically advanced regulated bioanalytical laboratory for clinical trials announced that the Premier of South Australia the Hon Steven Marshall MP has launched its new $1.5m vaccine and immunobiology laboratory. The facility, the most sophisticated in APAC, will attract biotechs and pharma from around the world for advanced clinical research.

Over the past 2 years, Agilex Biolabs has invested more than $3.5m in technology and systems at the APAC headquarters in Adelaide.

Premier of South Australia, Steven Marshall launched the new facility yesterday, thanking Agilex Biolabs for investing in the State and creating jobs in this important sector.

“South Australia is the most liveable city in the country, and the third in the world and investment such as this continues to build on this,” Premier Marshall said.

“This new facility certainly puts South Australia firmly on the global map for high-tech clinical research.”

“We have seen significant advances in vaccines and immunobiology in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and now the Agilex Biolabs’ state-of-the-art facility offers the very latest in technology to support the further development of these new and emerging therapies targeting infections, cancer and genetic conditions.”

Minister for Trade and Investment Stephen Patterson who attended the launch with the Premier said the State Government had an ambitious plan to grow SA’s Health and Medical Industries sector’s contribution to the state’s economy.

“As a government, we’re working collaboratively with industry to more than double the HMI economic contribution to SA from $2.3 billion to $5 billion by 2030.

“South Australia is open for business and at the forefront of world-leading capabilities, bio-tech precincts and an academic research ecosystem that makes it the ideal place to invest and do business.”

Agilex Biolabs CEO Jason Valentine said the new laboratory focusses on new and emerging areas of therapeutic interest, including RNA vaccines, siRNA/miRNA clinical targets and gene therapy studies.

“This new facility adds digital droplet quantitative RT-PCR analysis for RNA, siRNA and miRNA clinical trials, including vaccines and gene therapy trials,” he said.

“We are also installing an EliSPOT/FluoroSPOT multi-spot reader for vaccine studies to enable extrapolation of recall immune responses, which coupled with our state-of-the-art BD FACSymphony 5 laser, 20 colour flow cytometer, offers unparalleled sensitivity for immunology and vaccine trials.”

This Agilex Biolabs facility adds to the recent expansion of the small molecule/novel chemical entity laboratory and implementation of the latest 6500+ Sciex LC/MS/MS platforms to enable the development and validation of the highest sensitivity assays in the region for regulated bioanalysis.

The laboratory will be completed in the next few months with international clients already booked to access the advanced technology and scientific excellence.

Agilex Biolabs has more than 130 staff which includes 85 dedicated laboratory staff, and supports client pharma and biotech companies from US, Europe and APAC.

The company offers services for both small molecules and biologics for PK, immunogenicity (PD) and biomarker bioanalysis utilising the two platforms of LC-MS/MS and Immunoassay.

South Australian clinical research has remained open for business and Agilex Biolabs is a designated essential service so clients can be assured of study continuity.