8 Australian startups have been selected to receive grants of $18.5 million in the first funding round of the CUREator+ initiative aimed at delivering life-saving technologies. It will focus on funding primary medical research and ideas with a great impact on public health.
The First-Round Recipients
The grants will go to eight innovative Australian startups working on cutting-edge healthcare solutions, including:
- Amplificare: An approach for fast evaluation of the efficiency of cancer therapy.
- Baymatob: If a woman has pregnancy or labour complications, the tool finds them out early.
- Currus Biologics: Finding new CAR T-cell therapy to cure cancer.
- Kinoxis Therapeutics: Characterization of an antipsychotic-free approach to managing agitated behaviors in dementia.
- Micromune Therapeutics: A treatment for Crohn’s disease.
- Mirugen: An experimental approach to cure or alleviate the symptoms of several diseases like inherited blindness.
- OncoRes Medical: A cancer imaging technology to help it distinguish between cancer and healthy tissues.
- SeeTreat Medical: Programs for better effectiveness of radiation treatment of breast cancer patients.
Creating a Better Healthcare System
Minister for Health and Aged Care, The Hon Mark Butler MP, pointed out that the research must be translated into clinical practice. He said, “Our support will help make innovative research become the treatments that can change lives and save lives.”
The funding was also described as important by the CEO of ANDHealth, Bronwyn Le Grice, who said that it would significantly enhance the rate of commercialization of these technologies and the likelihood of success.
