Victorian scientists have created Australia’s first mRNA vaccine, which could be adjusted to fight off aggressive new COVID-19 variants.

The new vaccine was created in Melbourne within five months by Monash University researchers, pharmaceutical manufacturer IDT Australia and the Doherty Institute.

It will now be subject to clinical trials and regulatory approvals.

About 450 doses have been produced at the Boronia site for phase one clinical trials from January, with results expected later in 2022.

Innovation Minister Jaala Pulford said the technology, which received $5 million in state government funding, signalled a “significant milestone”.

“Australia has manufactured for trial our first COVID-19 mNRA vaccine, this is also Australia’s first mRNA product that has been manufactured,” she said on Tuesday.

“We are the only place in this country that has the capacity in pharmaceutical manufacturing, but also in scientific development, to do this.”

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She said the technology may lead to a “whole new frontier of individualised medicine”, which could help develop treatments for other diseases including cancer.

Monash University Professor of Pharmaceutical Biology Colin Pouton said the vaccine was different to existing COVID-19 jabs and the only licensed vaccine in the world to focus on “the receptor-binding domain”.

source thewest.com.au