Darra-based biotech startup company Luina Bio believes they have the ingredients and the expertise necessary to help produce a new generation of mRNA vaccines to help in the fight against COVID-19.
mRNA vaccines, like the one produced by pharmaceutical giant Pfizer, are at the forefront of the worldwide efforts to contain the coronavirus pandemic.
At the present moment, Luina Bio helps prepare vaccines and proteins for researchers and companies worldwide, with more than 90 per cent of its business coming from overseas clients.
“As a microbial fermentation company, Luina Bio has all the capacity to produce the API – the active pharmaceutical – for mRNA vaccines,” Max Rosetto, Luina’s General Manager (Business Development) explained at a BioMelbourne Network event recently.
Their current capacity allows them to produce 1.4 million doses of the active drug for the vaccines — a number which can be increased to 20 million doses with some investment.
The federal government began discussing the production of the vaccines with numerous local manufacturers, Luina Bio included, in 2020. Government plans are already in place for a COVID-19 vaccine roll-out, with smaller startups volunteering to partake in the creation of mRNA vaccines in the future.
However, Karen Andrews, Minister for Industry, Science and Technology, reiterated that the production of mRNA products at scale is challenging and will take time to develop.
About Luina Bio
Luina Bio, founded and based in Brisbane, has served pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and veterinary industries across the globe for over 20 years by supplying them with manufacturing solutions for biological drugs.
Their primary clients consist of research institutes, universities, and biopharmaceutical development companies. Luina Bio’s manufacturing includes, but is not limited to, recombinant proteins and vaccines, live biotherapeutics, plasmid DNA, and human and veterinary products.
For more information, visit their website.