Objective
To stimulate substantial investment in new high quality pharmaceuticals research and development (R&D) activity in Australia by offering up to $150 million R&D funding during 2004–09 through the Pharmaceuticals Partnerships Program (P3).
Significance for Australia
The pharmaceuticals industry, including biotechnology, originator and generic medicines companies, is highly knowledgeable and skills intensive, fast growing and globalised. Through the Pharmaceuticals Industry Council, government and industry committed to a number of actions to help achieve the industry’s vision of doubling Australia’s share of the global pharmaceuticals industry by 2012.
Departmental role and current achievements
P3 was announced in 2003. It is a competitive entry program focused on developing medicines for global markets and encouraging international firms to foster partnerships with local companies. It will finish on 30 June 2009.
P3 aims to:
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increase the level of new high quality pharmaceuticals R&D undertaken in Australia;
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increase the number and quality of linkages within the industry;
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improve the international engagement of local firms;
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increase the quality of R&D undertaken and its overall benefit to the Australian economy; and
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encourage the development of medicines for the global market.
The five current participants selected in Round One are: Acrux DDS Pty Ltd; CSL Ltd; Hospira Australia Pty Ltd (formerly Mayne Pharma Pty Ltd); Merck Sharp & Dohme (Australia) Pty Ltd; and Novogen Ltd. The four current participants selected under Round Two are: CBio Ltd; Peplin Ltd; Pfizer Australia Pty Ltd; and Starpharma Pty Ltd.
The five current participants selected in Round Three are: Arana Therapeutics Limited (formerly Peptech Ltd); Janssen-Cilag Pty Ltd (formerly a successful Round One applicant); Progen Industries Ltd; Vital Health Sciences Pty Ltd; and GlaxoSmithKline Australia Pty Ltd. The Round Three companies were awarded funding agreements for up to a total of $28 million under the round.
The Program also provides $10 million to assist to establish a Small-Scale Mammalian Cell Production Facility to be built in Australia.
The Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research engaged Deloitte Insight Economics in 2007-08 to formally evaluate the first three years of P3 to assess the extent to which it is achieving its policy aims and the effectiveness of the program design features in contributing to achieving these aims.
The evaluation of P3 will be used to inform future policy decisions on the appropriateness of a successor program. The evaluation will also be considered, along with the results of the Review of the National Innovation System, as part of the work of the Pharmaceuticals Industry Strategy Group. The evaluation was completed on 22 May 2008. Click here to download a copy (575 kb).
Targets for 2008-09
For further information
Phone: AusIndusty hotline, 13 28 46
Email
Web: www.ausindustry.gov.au
Web: www.innovation.gov.au/pharmaceuticals
August 2008