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Filed Under: People of the Precinct Tagged With: Institute for Glycomics, Mark von Itstein

Institute for Glycomics celebrates 20 years and top honours

Professor Mark von Itzstein AO, Founder and Director, Institute for Glycomics and Gold Coast Citizen of the Year 2020

Griffith University’s Director and Head of Research for the Institute for Glycomics Professor Mark von Itzstein AO has been honoured with the Gold Coast Citizen of the Year award at the city’s 2020 Australia Day awards, marking the start of 20th anniversary celebrations for one of the Precinct’s flagship research institutes.

The honour recognises the commitment and success of Professor von Itzstein, who led the research team that discovered the world’s first drug for Influenza, Relenza, and has championed the strong vision for the Institute that has seen it grow from humble beginnings with a handful of staff to more than 200 researchers tackling infectious diseases and cancers.

“The vision that we started with 20 years ago has not changed, and as a unique leading medical research institute in the country, we strive to discover solutions to difficult diseases,” Professor von Itzstein says.

“I am honoured to accept the award on behalf of all members of the Institute, as it is the team that has driven the success of our translational research in fighting diseases of global impact.”

With a number of discoveries progressing into the commercial pipeline, the Institute most recently signed a landmark multi-million dollar co-development deal with Hong Kong listed China Grand Pharma’s newly established Australian company Grand Medical Ltd to develop a new drug for Human Parainfluenza Virus (hPIv).

Celebrating the vision

“And the future? Make no mistake, the fight against diseases is one of the world’s, and our Institute’s, most significant challenges, but I believe that the opportunities to solve these 21st Century problems are endless.
And we’re ready for the battle ahead.”

Professor Mark von Itzstein AO
Founder & Director

Anniversary celebrations

Glycomics Research Awards Evening, 20-02-20

Date: Thursday 20 February, 2020
Time: 5.30 pm
Venue: Institute for Glycomics Lecture Theatre (G26 4.09), Griffith University Gold Coast (map)
Dress: Smart casual

2020 Glycomics Honours & Masters Scholarships
2019/2020 Bendigo Bank Paradise Point Glycomics Summer Scholarships
2020 Glycomics Research Excellence Awards

RSVP here by 13 February, 2020 for this free celebration event.

20th Anniversary Grand Ball

Date: Saturday 15 August, 2020
Time: 7pm – 11pm
Venue: RACV Royal Pines Resort, Grand Ballroom
Dress: Black tie

Tickets: $220 per person incl GST, $2,000 incl GST for a table of 10

Sponsorship packages are now available to support this major fundraising event. Download the Sponsorship Proposal – Glycomics 20th Anniversary Grand Ball.

Filed Under: BUSINESS, HEALTH Tagged With: China, drug discovery, Grand Pharma, Institute for Glycomics

Landmark drug development deal with China for block-buster drug

Institute for Glycomics Director Professor Mark von Itzstein AO signs the agreement watched by Griffith University Vice Chancellor and President Professor Carolyn Evans

Griffith University’s Institute for Glycomics has partnered with Hong Kong listed China Grand Pharma’s newly established Australian company Grand Medical Ltd to develop a new drug for Human Parainfluenza Virus.

Human parainfluenza virus (hPIV) commonly causes upper and lower respiratory illnesses in infants, young children, the elderly, and people with weakened immune systems, including transplant patients, however anyone can get infected. Respiratory tract infections remain the deadliest communicable diseases worldwide, causing more than 3.2 million deaths in 2015 alone.

Currently there is no therapeutic available to specifically treat hPIV infection, with the potential for the Institute’s new drug to be a global block-buster.

Biggest deal of its kind for an Australian University

“This multimillion-dollar agreement represents Australia’s largest preclinical stage university engagement with Pharma to discover a novel antiviral drug and reflects our strong scientific team and IP portfolio”.

Dr Chris Davis, General Manager, Institute for Glycomics

Professors Mark von Itzstein and Carolyn Evans with Dr Linda Shi (Grand Medical Ltd) and Dr Michael Wang (China Grand Pharma)

The deal comprises significant upfront Research & Development and licence fees plus development and sales milestone fees with a tiered royalty on product sales.

China Grand Pharma has made major investments in several international companies including an Australian company Sirtex Medical Pty Ltd, German company Cardionovum GmbH and Canadian company Conavi Medical Inc.

Filed Under: HEALTH, TECHNOLOGY

$2 million grant for revolutionary rehabilitation technology

Dr Dinesh Palipana (left) and Dr Claudio Pizzalato

BioSpine research towards a spinal injury cure

A world-leading program led by Griffith University researchers Dr Dinesh Palipana OAM, Queensland’s first quadraplegic medical doctor, and research fellow Dr Claudio Pizzolato has potential to completely transform the way spinal injury patients are rehabilitated, with application for other forms of rehab as well.

The promising research, which uses novel personalised medicine technology to bring together the most promising approaches to treating spinal cord injury in human history, has secured a $2 million funding injection from the Motor Accident Insurance Commmission (MAIC).

With very personal motivation to make a difference, Dr Palipana says he is grateful the stars are aligning on the Gold Coast to create a holistic treatment that will help patients all around the world.

“We are using thought control, electrical simulation, and drug therapy in an attempt to restore function in paralysis.”

Dr Claudio Pizzolato says the research was inspired by work underway in Europe and the USA and centred on their world-first personalised ‘digital twin’ that brings a brain-computer interface together with a human-machine interface to ‘close the loop’ broken by spinal cord injury.

“Our approach involves collaborating with spinal cord injury patients, clinicians, researchers, and engineers from the beginning in order to create a technology that works and is easy to use in clinics and hospitals,” he said.

“The MAIC funding is an incredible opportunity to create disruptive technologies that have the potential to change people’s lives.”

Griffith Vice Chancellor and President Professor Carolyn Evans welcomed the generous support from MAIC and says it would enable a transformative research opportunity.

“Rehabilitation for spinal cord injury has traditionally been quite slow and limited, and even with recent advances in robotic rehabilitation equipment has not been personalised to the patient or combined with thought control,” Professor Evans says.

“MAIC’s commitment to this world-leading research is in addition to previous financial support for promising research into a regenerative medicine treatment for the injured spinal cord through stem cell transplantation. Funding for both innovative initiatives will help cement the university’s reputation in spinal cord injury research.”

Dr Dinesh Palipana, Professor David Lloyd, Dr Claudio Pizzalatto and Perry Cross of the Perry Cross Spinal Injury Foundation

The Biospine project is a key Griffith University led initiative which is anticipated will help position the Gold Coast Health and Knowledge Precinct (GCHKP) as a global leader in spinal injury rehabilitation.

Research will be carried out at ADaPT 1.0 with ADaPT 2.0 to be built within the GCHKP by 2022.

Learn more