Biotech startups in Melbourne

(i-body protein platform)

Drug-discovery biotech whose 'i-body' platform (inspired by shark antibodies) targets receptors that are hard to drug with conventional antibodies. Lead candidate AD-214 completed Phase 1 for idiopathic pulm...

(FAK inhibitor platform)

Clinical-stage oncology biotech advancing narmafotinib (AMP945), a best-in-class Focal Adhesion Kinase (FAK) inhibitor designed to break down the fibrotic barrier in pancreatic cancer. Its ACCENT trial repor...

Clinical-stage biotech developing PVX108, a synthetic-peptide immunotherapy to retrain the immune system and treat peanut allergy. Raised ~A$66M in Jan 2024 (incl. A$12M from Breakthrough Victoria; investors...

Darren Kelly

Precision-medicine biotech developing anti-fibrotic drugs (lead FT011) for chronic kidney disease and the rare autoimmune disease diffuse systemic scleroderma, using genetic testing to target patients who sc...

Deeptech pioneer in 'biological computing', integrating lab-grown human neurons with silicon (the DishBrain that learned Pong). Launched the CL1 — billed as the world's first commercially available biologica...

(est. 1916 as Commonwealth Serum Laboratories)

Australia's largest biotech and a global plasma/vaccine leader (blood plasma therapies, influenza vaccines via Seqirus, iron deficiency via Vifor). Founded 1916, privatised 1994. In August 2023 PM Anthony Al...

Silviu Itescu

Founded 2004 by physician-scientist Silviu Itescu; global leader in allogeneic cellular (mesenchymal stromal cell) medicines. In Dec 2024 its lead product Ryoncil (remestemcel-L) became the first FDA-approve...

(est. 1993)

Melbourne biopharma focused on neurodevelopmental disorders. Its drug DAYBUE (trofinetide), licensed to Acadia Pharmaceuticals, won FDA approval in March 2023 as the first-ever treatment for Rett syndrome an...

Megan Baldwin

Late-stage biopharma spun out of Circadian Technologies (renamed Opthea 2015) developing sozinibercept, a novel therapy for wet age-related macular degeneration (wet AMD) and diabetic macular oedema. Raised ...

Precinct anchor

Joint venture of the University of Melbourne and Royal Melbourne Hospital in the Parkville precinct; a global infection-and-immunity powerhouse. First lab outside China to grow and share SARS-CoV-2 in 2020, ...

Precinct anchor

Australia's only public hospital solely dedicated to cancer, co-located in the Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre in Parkville. Combines treatment with one of the largest cancer-research groups in the cou...

(biodegradable ocular implant)

Clinical-stage ophthalmology company (tech originally from CSIRO and the Bionics Institute) developing a hair-thin biodegradable polymer implant (PA5108) that delivers glaucoma medication into the eye over 6...

(dendrimer platform)

World leader in dendrimer nanotechnology for pharma and medical products. Three platforms: VivaGel (bacterial vaginosis; launched in Australia), DEP drug-delivery (dendrimer-enhanced oncology assets), and an...

Christian Behrenbruch & co-founders

Founded 2015; global commercial-stage biopharma in theranostic (therapeutic + diagnostic) radiopharmaceuticals for cancer. Its lead product Illuccix (prostate cancer PET imaging) is FDA-approved and drove Te...

Precinct anchor

Australia's oldest medical research institute (est. 1915) and a Parkville Biomedical Precinct anchor. World-renowned for discoveries in immunology, cancer (BCL-2 / venetoclax lineage), infectious disease and...