The number of international drug companies undertaking clinical trials in Perth is set to expand after local success story Linear Clinical Research opened a $6 million facility.
The number of international drug companies undertaking clinical trials in Perth is set to expand after local success story Linear Clinical Research opened a $6 million facility.
Linear today officially opened a 24-bed drug testing facility in Joondalup, adding to its existing facility at the QEII Medical Centre in Nedlands.
Since Linear opened for business 12 years ago, it has led the emergence of Perth as a significant location for drug testing by the global pharmaceutical industry.
As a result, its revenue has increased to $27.8 million for the year to December 2021.
Chief executive Jayden Rogers said the new facility would continue to attract the world’s best medical breakthroughs to Western Australia.
“The Linear Joondalup Early Phase Centre will be one of the most advanced clinical trial centres in the entire Asia-Pacific region and will help position WA as a leading destination for the world’s leading biopharmaceutical companies,” he said.
“These companies are increasingly looking to run early phase trials in Australia owing to its speed, quality medical system and cost efficiencies.”
Mr Rogers said Joondalup was stage one of a broader network across Perth and the regions.
Stage two would be a dedicated clinic in Nedlands for testing drugs on cancer patients, at an estimated cost of $5 million.
Mr Rogers said these investments would triple capacity.
The new facility received $2.25 million in backing the state government’s Future Health Research and Innovation Fund, and additional backing from Lotterywest and the Stan Perron Charitable Foundation.
Chief scientist Peter Klinken said Linear’s story was a remarkable example of the impact that visionary investment in the life sciences could have.
“As a fledgling startup founded out of the Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research in 2010, Linear has become an engine for economic growth whilst supporting some of the most advanced medical breakthroughs in the world,” he said.
“Most importantly, these breakthroughs are changing the lives of patients and their families not only in Australia, but across the globe.”
Mr Rogers said Linear had run eight trials involving COVID treatments, including the ground-breaking S-Trimer vaccine trial.
“Outside of COVID-19, Linear has been one of the most active sites globally in early phase cancer trials, having supported a wide range of next generation therapies from global biopharma that are having profound impacts in the treatment of cancer,” he said.
More than 1,200 trial participants are expected to take part in the Joondalup trials each year.
At full operation, it is expected the facility will support hundreds of direct and indirect jobs in the Joondalup CBD.
Medical Research Minister Stephen Dawson said the Future Health Research and Innovation Fund was a key initiative in driving WA’s medical research industry.
“Providing critical resources to establish a state-of-the-art research facility will not only help health and medical research to flourish, but it will also benefit all Western Australians,” he said.
