THE Victorian government is backing local manufacturing in the medical technology sector, while boosting access to Rapid Antigen Tests (RATs) for all Victorians.
The move from the government will see Lumos Diagnostics, who are already producing RATs for Canadian and European markets, set up a manufacturing facility and innovation hub in the state, with its delivery partner Planet Innovation.
“Rapid antigen tests are a big part of living safely and having a secure, locally made supply will serve us incredibly well,” said Jaala Pulford, minister for innovation, medical research and the digital economy.
Under the new plan Lumos, pending approval from the Therapeutic Goods Administration, will generate one million tests each month from April and three million a month after July before reaching full production capacity in October, making as many as 50 million RATs per year.
“Manufacturing rapid antigen tests in Victoria will protect and secure the state’s supply chain and create local jobs,” said Daniel Andrews, premier of Victoria.
Once established, the new facility will also be able to produce diagnostic tests for infectious diseases, tropical diseases, chronic diseases and reproductive health.
“Being able to scale up production so quickly shows the strength of Victoria’s advanced manufacturing capabilities,” added Andrews.
The project will also create new ongoing jobs in the local medical technology sector, with the innovation hub providing access to product development and manufacturing support programs for start-ups, research and development institutes and small-to-medium businesses.
The Victorian government has also committed to securing several million priority supply tests from Lumos to meet the current demand brought on by the Omicron variant.
While also having invested $268.5 million in funding for coronavirus treatment research and supporting the new mRNA vaccine manufacturing in Melbourne, which is due for a 2024 completion and will become the first of its kind in this hemisphere.