Jane Prentice (Ryan, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker and fellow proud Queenslander. Earlier today the Queensland Minister for Science, Information Technology, Innovation and the Arts, the Hon. Ian Walker, named the inaugural winners of the Champions programs, and I take this opportunity to expand upon the richly deserved award for Professor Kendall. Inventor of the Nanopatch, Professor Mark Kendall of the Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology at the University of Queensland, which is in my electorate of Ryan, was announced as the Inaugural Science Champion.

The Nanopatch is a needle-free vaccine delivery device, currently under rapid research and development through spin-out company Vaxxas. Much of the difficulty in delivering vaccination programs in developing nations is based on cost and the need for refrigeration. The vaccine is freeze dried onto the Nanopatch, meaning that not only is it one one-hundredth of the normal amount of vaccine required for full vaccination, but the patches themselves do not require refrigeration and do not need medical staff to administer them. Just imagine: where you had a padded box which perhaps contained six syringes—very fragile, temperature controlled, necessary for delivery, a short life span—you now have a box that can be filled with hundreds of nanopatches, which are just the size of a fingernail, and they can last so much longer. Currently, there are significant challenges when immunising remote populations in developing nations. The distance, the lack of electricity, the lack of education and the fear of needles are among the top inhibitors of effective community health programs in these areas.

The work of Professor Kendall has been recognised previously, notably when he was awarded the Janssen AusBiotech Emerging Company of the Year Award in 2012. Professor Kendall's Nanopatch innovation means that we could easily vaccinate whole remote villages in less than a day. The patch has thousands of small projections designed to deliver a vaccine to abundant immune cells in the skin, whereas the traditional needle and syringe deliver to the muscle where there are few immune cells. Nanopatch delivery can improve the efficiency of vaccines, including achieving protection against influenza. The Nanopatch has the potential to improve patient convenience, reduce needle-stick injuries and overcome cross-contamination, a significant concern in many areas where this technology could be utilised.

The University of Queensland Vice-Chancellor, Peter Hoj, in congratulating Vaxxas, and University of Queensland researchers on their contribution to the underpinning technology, noted:

'While we cannot do without excellent basic research, wherever possible it must be followed by its translation into practical use, to the benefit of society.

'This is a prime example of such practice with a potential for global benefit including in disadvantaged regions.'

Not only will this revolutionise the way we deliver aid, in line with the government's desire to see greater results on the ground for each dollar of foreign aid money spent; it also underlines the importance of establishing collaborative research groups as planned under the Medical Research Future Fund, a cornerstone of the coalition's budget.

Further underlying the broad benefit that this technology can bring to the community is the partnership established between pharmaceutical company Merck and Vaxxas. Professor Hoj commented with regard to this collaboration:

'This link-up with Merck is especially inspiring, because it may lead to the relief of serious health problems, particularly in remote and developing regions.

'In the immediate term, it will employ more people in Brisbane’s innovation economy, and boost the global reputation of Queensland and Australian R&D.'

As Professor Hoj further noted:

'This directly builds upon intensive and outstanding research on the Nanopatch—conducted by my research group at UQ—taking the Nanopatch from an idea to achieving unprecedented immune responses in animals. And our research has been supported by competitive research grants from both the Australian and Queensland State Governments.'

There has never been a more appropriate time for us all to reflect on the untapped benefit and potential that this research will bring not just directly to our young science students seeking funding for research, not just to the economy of our country, but also to the global community as we look at the increasing pressures placed on foreign aid budgets and health outcomes here and overseas. I am therefore delighted to commend Professor Kendall and his team on their world-leading research. (Time expired)

Bruce Scott (Maranoa, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I call the honourable member for Griffith—in maroon!