COVID-19 Centre

The COVID-19 pandemic has created an unprecedented landscape around the world. The Queensland life sciences industry is at the forefront with continuing progress throughout the State on testing kits, treatments, vaccines and a cure.

Life Sciences Queensland Limited (LSQ) are working together with our members to support the global fight against COVID-19. As the pandemic continues to evolve day to day, LSQ has compiled this regularly updated page to act as your guide to the pandemic and how Queensland is leading the fight against this devastating virus.

Articles

Vaccine

CSL signs agreement with Australian Government for UQ vaccine supply
UQ and CSL, 7 Sep 2020.
Global biotech company CSL Limited will supply the Australian Government with 51 million doses of The University of Queensland’s COVID-19 vaccine candidate if it proves successful, under a heads of agreement announced today.

UQ vaccine scientists report positive results from pre-clinical testing
UQ, 26 Aug 2020.
Pre-clinical testing of The University of Queensland’s COVID-19 vaccine has produced positive indications about its potential effectiveness and manufacturability.

Queensland companies to lead the way in on-shore COVID-19 vaccine manufacture
LSQ, 20 Aug 2020.
Queensland biomanufacturing companies Luina Bio and Thermo Fisher Scientific are well positioned to fill the gap in Australia’s on-shore COVID-19 vaccine manufacturing and distribution capabilities, eliminating the nation’s reliance on foreign providers when a vaccine candidate becomes available.

COVID-19 vaccine trial begins at USC
USC, 19 Aug 2020.
USC Clinical Trials is bringing COVID-19 vaccine research, previously only available in Australia’s major cities, to the Sunshine Coast and Moreton Bay.

Dosing begins in the first human trial of UQ’s COVID-19 vaccine
UQ, 13 July 2020.
The next critical phase for The University of Queensland’s COVID-19 vaccine is underway – with the research effort moving out of the lab and into human trials.

UQ and CEPI partner with CSL to advance COVID-19 vaccine
UQ, 5 June 2020.
A landmark partnership will help to accelerate the future development, manufacture and distribution of a University of Queensland COVID-19 vaccine.

UQ congratulates vaccine delivery spinout on global deals
UQ, 1 June 2020.
A spinout company developing technology based on innovative University of Queensland research has announced two partnerships that could revolutionise the manufacture and delivery of vaccines.

Griffith University researchers on the road to COVID-19 vaccine
Griffith University, 23 Apr 2020.
Griffith University researchers have joined forces with scientists from Indian Immunologicals Limited (IIL), a leading vaccines manufacturing company based in Hyderabad, India to develop a vaccine for COVID-19.

CSIRO begins testing Covid-19 vaccines
CSIRO, 2 Apr 2020.
CSIRO, has commenced the first stage of testing potential vaccines for COVID-19. The testing, expected to take three months, is underway at CSIRO’s high-containment biosecurity facility, the Australian Animal Health Laboratory in Geelong.

Treatment and Testing

Ellume announces global partnership with OIAGEN for COVID-19 diagnosis
Ellume Ltd, 25 Aug 2020.
Digital diagnostics firm Ellume Ltd has extended its strategic partnership with leading global life sciences and diagnostics company, Qiagen NV with a high-performance COVID antibody test on the QIAGEN Access platform.

Luina Bio And XING Technologies Set To Manufacture New And Fast SARS-CoV-2 Diagnostic Kit
Luina Bio and XING Technologies, 13 July 2020.
Luina Bio is pleased to announce they have been selected to partner with XING Technologies to co-develop and manufacture a Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 diagnostic kit.

QUT and Oxford researchers collaborate on new COVID-19 asthma drug trial
QUT, 6 July 2020.
QUT researchers are collaborating with colleagues at the University of Oxford on a UK clinical trial to test common asthma inhalers as a treatment for COVID-19 infection.

New approaches to a COVID-19 treatment
Griffith University, 17 June 2020.
Australian research into the use of convalescent plasma in clinical trials for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19 should be supported according to a leading immunologist from Griffith University’s Institute for Glycomics.

Gene silencing technology to target COVID-19
Griffith University, 2 June 2020.
Using gene-silencing technology to turn off respiratory virus genes, Griffith University researchers aim to identify new and repurpose antiviral drug treatments targeting COVID-19.

Scientists to trial rheumatoid arthritis drug in ICU patients with COVID-19
QIMR, 9 May 2020.
Queensland researchers are preparing to begin a clinical trial of a drug that regulates inflammation in the hope it may help save the lives of critically ill patients with COVID-19.

COVID-19 drug lead treatments identified
UQ, 9 Apr 2020.
An international team of researchers has tested more than 10,000 compounds to identify six drug candidates that may help treat COVID-19.

Zucero Therapeutics to investigate anti-viral properties of ZU545 against COVID-19
Zucero Therapeutics Limited, 25 Mar 2020.
The current COVID-19 pandemic and the impact it is having around the world affects us all. While we are only a small company, we will do all that we can to help address the COVID-19 threat.

General Commentary

Natural capital must be counted in post-COVID economics
QUT, 27 May 2020.
Recovery from the global economic havoc the COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked could be the most appropriate time to spur the inclusion of natural assets, such as unique ecosystems, in a revision of the methods used in the System of National Accounts (SNA), says Dr Felicity Deane from QUT Faculty of Law.

Open access science brings COVID-19 research success
QUT, 18 May 2020.
The COVID-19 pandemic has seen scientists around the world openly and rapidly share their research findings to colleagues around the world to build knowledge on the deadly virus and avoid duplication and ‘blind alleys’.

Joint industry statement: Industry unites in call to back our biotechs to keep jobs during COVID-19
LSQ, 11 May 2020.
Despite this being the life sciences industry’s ‘finest hour’ as it pivots to fast track COVID-19 vaccines, treatment and diagnostics and digital health solutions, the sector’s pre-revenues companies are calling for support to keep their highly-skilled 65,000 jobs.

Upcoming webinars

COVID-19: Industry Contingency and Resilience
10 June – 22 October 2020.
City of Ipswich.

The Road to a Vaccine
Johnson and Johnson.

Interpreting JobKeeper stimulus rules and how it applies to your business
Grant Thornton Australia.

Eight Steps Startups Should Take to Survive the Coronavirus Crisis
Drive Capital.

Pandemic Preparedness – Call out for collaboration

While we are all facing adversity as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the life sciences industry is in a unique position to make a difference and address some of the challenges being presented. We are encouraging collaboration between industry organisations and stakeholders regarding your respective capabilities as we address issues in areas such as safety gear, ICU equipment, treatments, vaccines and diagnostics.

Specifically, we are seeking your feedback. What are you doing to address these challenges? What barriers are you currently facing? What more could you be doing if you had assistance in a certain area? Do you have facilities, equipment or services that are not being utilised but could be beneficial to others with different capabilities?

If there is anything LSQ or our other members can do to help your organisation address these challenges, please contact us.

Pandemic Readiness and Response Team – Join today

LSQ is convening a Pandemic Readiness and Response Team to explore what LSQ members are already doing to address the challenges of COVID-19, ask what else we could be doing and work together to make it happen. Members of the team already include supporters from Griffith University, Immune Express, Implicit Bioscience, MinterEllison, Patheon, Queensland Government, Queensland University of Technology and University of Queensland.

If you would like to join this team, please contact LSQ CEO Clare Blain.

Governor of Queensland sends thanks

His Excellency the Honourable Paul de Jersey AC, Patron of LSQ has congratulated LSQ for its role in providing the platform for life sciences industry organisations and key stakeholders to connect and help solve some of the current problems facing the world. Its response initiatives reflect a well-administered organisation, with an abiding commitment to the health and prosperity of our communities.

He further thanked those members organisations working with energy and pace to overcome the effects of coronavirus. Acknowledging that some are searching for vaccines and treatment, while others are developing new tests and equipment to keep frontline workers and the community safe. He stated his admiration for their work is immense. Including that their skills and expertise bring great credit to our State and will be vital to our economic recovery.

Read the full message here.