Off Script is brought to you by the Cumming Global Centre for Pandemic Therapeutics. Episode SummaryAustralia has a history of punching above its weight in medical research – from the cervical cancer vaccine to the bionic ear. Now we’re on the brink of our next breakthrough: pandemic therapeutics. Go behind the scenes with the politicians backing this moonshot and the scientists making it happen in Melbourne’s world-class biomedical precinct.What You'll Learn:The political perspective - Why Health Minister Mark Butler sees pandemic preparedness as both a health imperative and a matter of national securityVictoria's billion-dollar bet - How the Victorian Government's $1 billion investment over 10 years is positioning Melbourne as a global biotech powerhouse.Manufacturing sovereignty - The game-changing Moderna facility that will produce 100 million vaccine doses annually, securing Australia's pandemic independence.Regional leadership - How Australia's new capabilities will support our Pacific neighbours and establish us as a middle power in global health.Lab life revealed - Go inside the Doherty Institute's cutting-edge laboratories where CRISPR technology and flow cytometry are accelerating discoveries. Gender matters: Male and female immune systems respond dramatically differently to threats - yet we typically treat them identically.Featured ExpertsThe Hon. Mark Butler MP - Federal Health Minister explaining why therapeutics are crucial for hospital system resilience and pandemic preparedness.The Hon. Danny Pearson MP - Victorian Medical Research Minister on why Melbourne is attracting global talent and the economic power of medical breakthroughsProfessor Laura McKay - Doherty Institute immunologist sharing her journey from aspiring artist to virus hunter and the collaborative magic of Melbourne's research precinct.What’s Coming NextEpisode 3 dives deep into the cutting-edge technology being developed in these very labs. From AI-powered drug discovery to revolutionary therapeutic platforms, discover how Australian scientists are racing to solve the therapeutic development timeline.The future of pandemic preparedness is being built right here in Melbourne. Don't miss the next episode of what could be the most important scientific story of our time.Off Script is hosted by Dr. Matt Agnew and produced by the Cumming Global Centre for Pandemic Therapeutics, part of the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity.
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The Missing Piece
Off Script is brought to you by the Cumming Global Centre for Pandemic Therapeutics. Episode Summary: While Australia's COVID-19 response was among the world's best, there was one critical gap in our pandemic toolkit: therapeutics. In this eye-opening first episode, we explore the missing piece that could have saved millions of lives and discover why we're racing to fill this gap before the next pandemic hits.What You'll Learn: The breakthrough that started it all - How the Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity made history as the first lab outside China to map the genomic sequence of SARS-CoV-2, and the crucial decision to share it with the world immediately. Therapeutics vs. vaccines explained - The key difference between preventing illness and treating it once you're infected (spoiler: we need both!)The staggering investment gap - Why $190 billion went to vaccine development while only $7 billion was invested in therapeutics by 2021. The global perspective - World Health Organization's Sir Jeremy Farrar reveals why therapeutic development lagged behind and what it means for pandemic preparedness.The speed problem - Why current drug development takes too long for pandemic response and the innovative technologies being developed to change that.Featured ExpertsProfessor Sharon Lewin - Director of the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, internationally renowned HIV researcher, and Director of the Cumming Global Centre for Pandemic Therapeutics.Sir Jeremy Farrar - Assistant Director General at the World Health Organization, former Director of the Wellcome Trust, and author of "Spike".What's Coming NextEpisode 2 dives into Australia's moonshot goal to develop pandemic therapeutics for the whole world. Discover the incredible medical research capability being built right here in Melbourne's biomedical precinct.Subscribe now so you don't miss what might be the most important podcast series you hear all year. Because when it comes to pandemics, preparation isn't just smart policy - it's a matter of life and death.Off Script is hosted by Dr. Matt Agnew and produced by the Cumming Global Centre for Pandemic Therapeutics, part of the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity.
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Coming Soon: A podcast from the Cumming Global Centre for Pandemic Therapeutics with Dr Matt Agnew
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