The first and only commercial scale viral vector Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) in Australia is officially in operation.
Viral Vector Manufacturing Facility (VVMF) is positioning itself to play a leading role in the growing biomanufacturing industry in New South Wales (NSW). Viral vectors are an essential component to delivering an array of gene therapies and vaccines into our cells — and global demand for the platform is on the rise.
Last year, the NSW Government announced the establishment of VVMF while simultaneously committing AU$134.5 million toward the construction of a future manufacturing facility.
VVMF is strategically located within the region’s Westmead Health and Innovation Precinct — the country’s largest health, education, research and innovation district — near four major hospitals, five medical research entities, two university campuses and the largest pathology research service in the state.
The company will now produce GMP-grade lentiviral (LV) and adeno-associated viral vectors (AAV), supporting the development of gene and cell therapies. In addition, this location houses services such as vector R&D, process development and pre-clinical and clinical manufacturing (up to 500 liters). A robust domestic supply of viral vectors will not only expand access to therapies for patients but enable Australian researchers to deepen their expertise.
“This marks a major step forward for the sector, positioning Australia as a leader in advanced biomanufacturing,” said VVMF CEO Stephen Thompson.
Two days after Westmead operations started, VVMF announced a new collaboration with cell and gene therapy CDMO OXB. The company plans to license OXB’s AAV and LV platforms and associated intellectual property, allowing VVMF to streamline operational readiness and commercial success as its viral vectors enter the global market.
Industry Growth Continues
In December 2025, Melbourne-based cellular medicines manufacturer Cartherics launched its new spinoff biotechnology company, named Evinco Therapeutics. The company was created to develop advanced immune-based therapies for neurological disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease, the leading cause of death in Australia.
Evinco will explore the use of Extracellular Vesicles of Natural Killer cells as a treatment route for Alzheimer’s and other neurological conditions. Research will focus on an intranasal delivery method for delivering therapeutics directly to a patient’s brain.
“We have shown that minuscule EVs extracted from NK cells have extraordinary effects on microglia — the immune cells of the brain — in removing aggregated amyloid protein,” said Evinco CEO and Executive Chair Alan Trounson. “I am excited that this and other neuroprotective properties of NK-EVs may herald a new frontier in the fight against Alzheimer’s disease and other neuroinflammatory diseases.”
As the global Alzheimer’s therapeutics market is expected to scale to $17 billion by 2033, this initiative is anticipated to scale the capabilities of Australia’s biotech sector. According to national life sciences organization AusBioTech, Australia’s ecosystem as of October was home to “nearly 1,600 biotech and medtech companies — double the number of just eight years ago.”
The sector employs one out of every 60 jobs in Australia, the organization said in a release, and the market capitalization of ASX-listed companies has surged fivefold from AU$50 billion in 2017 to around AU$250 billion today.
