New South Wales (NSW) will leverage its world-class cell and gene therapy expertise to establish Australia’s first commercial-scale viral vector manufacturing facility at Westmead.

Premier Dominic Perrottet, Health Minister Brad Hazzard and Minister for Jobs, Investment, and Western Sydney Stuart Ayres said the NSW Government is now seeking partners to co-invest.

Viral vector technology delivers genetic material into cells and has been in use since the 1970s. The planned viral vector manufacturing facility in NSW will provide ground-breaking trial therapies for infections, cancer and genetic diseases.

Hazzard said the NSW Government will be seeking interest from companies with commercial and biotechnology expertise to co-invest in the Westmead-based facility.

Ayres said the facility will manufacture high-quality clinical grade viral vectors and will serve the Australian, broader Asia-Pacific and global markets.