The “Smart State” will have a world-class, purpose-built clinical trial facility to take new drugs from the scientific laboratory to patient tests to ensure they are safe for human use, Premier Peter Beattie announced today.
UniQuest, The University of Queensland’s technology commercialisation company, is in the final stages of negotiations with the Queensland Institute for Medical Research for the establishment of a new start up company.
Q-Pharm’s core business will be conducting Phase 1 clinical trials for new therapeutic drugs and bioequivalence studies for reformulations of existing therapeutics.
The company’s Managing Director will be Professor Wayne Hooper who is leaving the UQ School of Medicine to lead this new venture. Professor Hooper, along with Professor Ron Dickinson, are currently the co-directors of UQ’s Centre for Studies in Drug Disposition in the Faculty of Health Sciences. Together they have established a reputation and significant expertise in this field over the past 20 years.
Q-Pharm, will occupy a purpose-built level of the new Clive Berghofer Cancer Research Centre at the Queensland Institute for Medical Research.
“Once scientists have invented new drugs, they have to test them in the laboratory and in animals and later they have to clinically trial them in Phase 2 and 3 studies in hospitals,” said Mr Beattie.
“But we have not had a custom-designed facility in Queensland for Phase 1 clinical trials.”
“Q-Pharm will fill this crucial gap so that Queensland will have all the facilities we need to take new drug discoveries to full commercial production and the jobs that will come with that achievement.”
Trials of drugs in humans are:
Phase 1 - tests to ensure that the new drug does no harm;
Phase 2 - tests to ensure that the new drug works in a small number of patients;
Phase 3 - tests to ensure that the drug works in a large group of patients.
Phase I Clinical Trials are perhaps the most essential component of taking any new therapy from the laboratory into people.
Phase I trials test potential new drugs/treatments/vaccines not for effectiveness of the therapy but to determine that they do not cause harm or adverse side-effects.
Almost all new drugs must undergo Phase I testing before Phase 2 can begin.
Q-Pharm will have patient beds, outpatient areas, consulting rooms, patients’ lounge, drug storage area, pharmacy and data management/office areas.
For patients requiring in-house nursing care, there are six large private bedrooms of a standard equivalent to a high-quality private hospital.
Professor Good, Director of QIMR said: “Q-Pharm will further build on the reputations of both QIMR and UQ as leaders in biotechnology and will also enable new collaborations with pharmaceutical companies and contract research organisations whereby Q-Pharm will be able to conduct phase I Clinical Trials for these pharmaceutical companies.
UniQuest’s Managing Director, David Henderson, said: “We are excited about our role in the establishment of Q-Pharm as the first such company based in Queensland, providing infrastructure and services essential for the development of the biotechnology industry in the State.”
Professor Hooper said: “Phase 1 trials have much in common with bioequivalence studies in which we have 20 years’ experience, and this will lead to a seamless transition to conduct the new activities of Q-Pharm.”
Media contact: Steve Bishop (tel. 07 3224 4500) or Peter McCutcheon from UQ Communications (07 3365 1088)
