Medical Commericalisation Success

The Faculty of Health Sciences has become a centre of excellence in commercialisation of medical research. The work of 2006 Australian of the Year, Professor Ian Frazer, who developed a vaccine for cervical cancer, demonstrates what innovative research within the Faculty can achieve.

A discovery by Prof Frazer and research partner Dr Jian Zhou 18 years ago (within the Faculty), followed by a successful clinical trial in 2004, to the development of a vaccine, now known as Gardasil™ and Cervarix™, which became available in the developed world in mid-2006. This initiative is now housed in UQ's Diamantina Institute.

In partnership with UniQuest, research conducted in the Faculty of Health Sciences accounts for a significant number of treatments and spin-off companies established at The University of Queensland. These include:

• development of new anti-obesity drugs
• developing drugs for treatment of diseases like multiple sclerosis, based on early pregnancy factor 
• developing new DNA immunotherapies to achieve effective immune responses for preventing  and treating viral infections and cancer tumours
• dendritic cell vaccines for the treatment of autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, and other immune system diseases
• an anti-thrombotic drug for the prevention of cardiovascular disease
• a  centre for preclinical drug development
• Q-Pharm  - a phase 1 clinical trials company
• QRx Pharma - developing new products to treat and control bleeding
• Spinifex - developing therapeutics for the treatment of neuropathic pain
• Ausonex - design and development of hearing test instrumentation. 

Other achievements include:

• Pioneering of the hub and spoke model of commercialisation (now widely adopted throughout UQ)
• High levels of retention and recruitment of excellent research and academic staff and students.

More Information: 

Innovation and Commercial Development Manager

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