Australia and Thailand have launched a partnership to boost local manufacturing of essential medicines and vaccines, according to a press release from the Australian Embassy in Bangkok on Tuesday.
On December 3, Australia’s national science agency CSIRO signed agreements with Thailand’s National Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), Government Pharmaceutical Organisation (GPO), and the National Biopharmaceutical Facility at King Mongkut University of Technology Thonburi (KMUTT).
Focus on Local Manufacturing and Training
The collaboration aims to enhance Thailand’s capacity to produce medicines locally, reducing dependence on imports and improving affordability and accessibility. Key areas of focus include workforce training for the production of cancer therapeutics and medicines for infectious diseases.
Australian Ambassador to Thailand, Dr. Angela Macdonald, highlighted the importance of this initiative for Thailand’s rapidly expanding healthcare system, driven by an aging population and universal health coverage. “Local manufacturing will make life-saving medicine more affordable and accessible,” she said.
Expert Support and Shared Development
CSIRO Research Director Professor Susie Nilsson emphasized the partnership’s role in translating research into scalable production. “Shared process development and access to new technologies will enable access to high-quality, affordable medicines,” she noted.
Broader Health Security Initiative
This collaboration is part of the Australian Government’s $620 million Partnerships for a Healthy Region initiative, which supports equitable health systems and aims to reduce disease risks across the Indo-Pacific region.
For more information on the partnership, visit the Indo-Pacific Centre for Health Security website.
