Life Sciences WA Investment Series: Investor Meets Innovator

In this episode of the Life Sciences WA Podcast, Dr Bi Mian discusses his work with the Australian Medical Angels, a medical syndicate that focuses on investing in HealthTech start-ups in Australia. Dr Mian, who is a medical doctor and runs a multi-specialist medical centre in regional New South Wales, founded the group with his co-founder Dr Amandeep Hansra. The group, which has 600 members, is unique in that it consists of verified clinicians across the medical and dental fields.

Dr Mian explains that the syndicate allows doctors to invest in start-ups without having to put up large amounts of money individually. Through the syndicate, doctors can invest as little as $5,000 and still be part of a larger investment in a company. This allows doctors to have a say in the direction of the healthcare industry and invest in products and services that they will be using in their own practices.

The Australian Medical Angels have invested in a number of start-ups, including a telehealth platform, a mental health app, and a company that uses artificial intelligence to analyse medical images. Dr Mian believes that the key to successful investing in the healthcare industry is to focus on solving real problems that clinicians face on a daily basis. He also emphasises the importance of being passionate about the work and having a deep understanding of the industry.

Overall, Dr Mian believes that the western Australian life sciences industry has a bright future, with a strong focus on biotechnology and medical technology. He encourages aspiring entrepreneurs in the field to take the time to learn about the industry and develop a deep understanding of the problems they are trying to solve. By doing so, they can create successful and innovative solutions that will make a real difference in the lives of patients.

In this podcast episode of the Life Sciences WA Podcast, the guest was Bronwyn LeGrice, CEO of ANDHealth. The focus of the discussion was on investing and commercialising digital health.

LeGrice introduced herself and discussed her background, which included seven years in venture capital and over 20 years in the commercialisation of medical technologies, including setting up and Health. She explained that ANDHealth is Australia's only dedicated digital health commercialisation company.

When asked to define digital health, LeGrice said that it is the application of technology and software with or without connected devices to change the healthcare paradigm. She emphasised that at and Health, they focus on what they call "evidence-based digital health", or digital health where clinical and/or commercial evidence is required to enable a technology to make it to market.

LeGrice also discussed the potential for digital health to improve the efficiency of the healthcare system, and how ANDHealth helps companies in the digital health space to be investment ready. She stressed the importance of having a solid business plan and a strong team, as well as understanding the regulatory landscape.

Overall, the discussion highlighted the potential for investment in the digital health space, and the importance of commercialising technologies with clinical and commercial evidence in order to bring them to market.

Dr Alma Fulurija

Dr Alma Fulurija is the Head of the Strep A Vaccines team at Telephone Kids Institute. In this interview, she discussed the process of vaccine development, which is a long, expensive, and high-risk process, but has the potential for high rewards if successful. The Covid-19 pandemic has shown that vaccine development can be done faster with more money and collaboration.

Dr Fulurija discussed the different phases of vaccine development, including the discovery phase, where researchers try to understand the biology of the disease they are trying to treat and identify the target they want to eliminate. This is followed by the pre-clinical development phase, where researchers conduct experiments on cells and animals to assess the safety and efficacy of the vaccine.

Next is the clinical development phase, which involves testing the vaccine on human volunteers in a series of clinical trials to evaluate its safety and efficacy in different age groups and populations. The final phase is manufacturing, where the vaccine is produced on a large scale for distribution.

Dr Fulurija emphasised the importance of funding and collaboration in the vaccine development process. She also discussed the potential for growth in the life sciences sector in Western Australia, highlighting the state's strong track record in this area. She emphasised the importance of supporting and investing in early-stage companies in the sector.

In addition to discussing the vaccine development process, Fulurija also touched on the challenges and obstacles that can arise during this process. She discussed the need for regulatory approval and the importance of gaining the trust and support of the public. She also talked about the role of the government in providing funding and support for vaccine development.

Dr Fulurija also highlighted the potential benefits of vaccines, not only in terms of protecting individuals from infectious diseases, but also in terms of public health and economic benefits. She discussed the potential for vaccines to prevent outbreaks and control the spread of infectious diseases, thus reducing the need for expensive medical interventions and allowing for a healthier and more productive population.

In conclusion, Dr Fulurija emphasised the importance of continued investment and support for the life sciences sector, particularly in the area of vaccine development. She highlighted the potential for growth and success in this area, as well as the potential benefits for public health and the economy.

Dr Martine Kenan

Dr Martine Keenan is the Chief Innovation Officer for Melbourne-based company Synthesis Research. In this interview, she discussed the process of drug development, starting with the patient need and working backwards to identify potential therapies. Keenan emphasised the importance of early-stage research and the need to conduct experiments on cells and animals before moving on to clinical trials.

She discussed the challenges and obstacles that can arise during the drug development process, including the need for regulatory approval and the importance of gaining the trust and support of the public. She also talked about the role of the government in providing funding and support for drug development.

In terms of Western Australia, Dr Keenan highlighted the state's strong track record in life sciences and the potential for further growth in the sector. She also discussed the importance of supporting and investing in early-stage companies in the life sciences sector.

Dr Keenan emphasised the potential benefits of new therapies and treatments, not only in terms of improving patient outcomes, but also in terms of public health and economic benefits. She discussed the potential for new drugs to prevent and treat diseases, thus improving the health and productivity of the population.

In conclusion, Dr Keenan emphasised the importance of continued investment and support for the life sciences sector, particularly in the area of drug development. She highlighted the potential for growth and success in this area, as well as the potential benefits for public health and the economy.

Glenn Butcher is the CEO of FundWA, a venture capital firm focused on investing in technology-enabled innovation businesses in Western Australia.

In this interview, he discussed the potential for growth and success in this area, highlighting the state's strong track record in life sciences research and the potential for commercialising this research into products and services.

Butcher discussed the different types of organisations and products that might be of interest to investors in the life sciences sector, including drug development, medical devices, and digital therapeutics.

He emphasised the need for investment in this area, particularly in the form of early-stage funding, to support the development and commercialisation of these products.

Butcher also discussed the challenges and obstacles that can arise in the life sciences sector, including the need for regulatory approval and the importance of gaining the trust and support of the public.

He also talked about the role of the government in providing funding and support for the life sciences sector.

In conclusion, Butcher emphasised the potential for growth and success in the life sciences sector in Western Australia, highlighting the state's strong track record in this area and the potential for creating value and improving public health through the development and commercialisation of new products and services.