Lifesaving cancer treatments to be made in Victoria

A national pharmaceutical manufacturer is establishing an Australian-first facility to develop life-saving cancer treatment therapies in Victoria.

The Victorian Government is supporting IDT Australia Limited to establish a new commercial Contract Design and Manufacturing Organisation facility in Boronia, which will produce a new, innovative class of cancer treatments, and create 25 new highly-skilled jobs.

Currently, around 95% of chemotherapy treatments used in Australia are imported from overseas. IDT will house the first and only facility in Australia to manufacture these innovative chemotherapy molecules, with world-class, highly specialised equipment. IDT will have the capability to manufacture the active ingredient and complete end-to-end manufacturing of the ADC class of chemotherapy products.

The facility will be able to develop and manufacture a new class of revolutionary cancer treatment therapies, called Antibody Drug Conjugates (ADCs). Described as ‘smart chemotherapy’, ADCs are set to replace up to 50% of all traditional chemotherapies in the next 15 years.

Developing these life-saving treatments in Victoria builds the state’s sovereign manufacturing capabilities and contributes to our world-class medtech sector. As one of the fastest growing sectors in Victoria’s economy, the state boasts 650 medtech companies employing 6,000 people and generating $1.4 billion in value.