*VivaZome Therapeutics wins top prize with its potential to provide 
off-the-shelf regenerative medicines. 
*Part of Cytiva's BioChallenge global series, the inaugural challenge for the 
Australia and New Zealand region received 32 applications from various 
universities and companies.

Cytiva, a global life sciences leader, announces the winner of its first 
BioChallenge for the Australia and New Zealand region (ANZ). The competition 
attracted 32 proposals from academic institutions and start-up companies across 
the region's biotechnology industry. They were evaluated by a panel of 
independent judges. VivaZome Therapeutics, an emerging exosome-derived 
therapies developer, was ultimately being awarded the top prize valued at 
approximately AUD $200,000. 

Since the global BioChallenge was launched in 2018, Cytiva has overseen more 
than 130 projects. The company has provided approximately four million USD of 
products and services to support research, bioprocessing development, and 
commercialization. In the first ANZ BioChallenge, the focus was on empowering 
biotech researchers and companies in three areas: cell engineering, process 
development and isolation as well as chromatography and filtration purification.

VivaZome's winning entry depicted the company's efforts to develop a universal 
exosome manufacturing process, with an aim is to produce off-the-shelf 
regenerative medicines without existing hurdles of delivering live cells to 
patients. Professor David Haylock, CEO of VivaZome Therapeutics, says "Our team 
is working to be a global leader in providing novel, valuable and safe 
exosome-derived therapies for devastating and life-threatening diseases. To 
make our vision real, we value the opportunity provided by BioChallenge to 
download industry experience and know-how from Cytiva.

Jarrod Belcher, Director, Researcher Exchange and Development within Industry 
Initiative, MTP Connect, says "The Cytiva Biochallenge provides funding and 
services & expertise to winning applicants to help grow local biomanufacturing 
in Australia. We appreciate industry support like this contributing to the 
commercialization efforts of Australia's world-class research."

In 2021, Cytiva, along with the Financial Times' research arm Longitude, 
compiled a global index based on a survey of 1165 biopharma executives and 
healthcare policymakers across 20 countries. The Index ranked the ability of 
the biopharma industry to respond to five major challenges in supply chain, 
talent, research and development, manufacturing, as well as government policy 
and regulation. The index identified talent pool and R&D collaboration as 
restraints to the ANZ biopharma industry to achieving self-sufficiency. As a 
committed industry leader, Cytiva hopes to support the industry by turning 
challenges into opportunities.  

Tim O'Meara, Project Leader for the ANZ BioChallenge at Cytiva says "excellent 
research facilities, world-class capabilities and a strong but flexible 
regulatory regime have made ANZ a powerhouse of biotechnology. We hope 
BioChallenge can help discover and showcase promising industry researchers and 
companies with the support of Cytiva's expertise, products, and services."

As part of the award, Cytiva will provide VivaZome and the other award-winning 
companies with its well-sought Fast Trak Services and training worth nearly AUD 
$360,000 throughout 2022. Cytiva will also seek to nurture and further develop 
early-stage innovations through joint efforts.

Please stay tuned to the Cytiva Bioprocess Training and Service page for the 
latest updates. 

About Cytiva

Cytiva is a global life sciences leader that works with academic and 
translational researchers, developers and manufacturers of biotherapeutics, 
cell and gene therapies, and new technologies such as mRNA, to enable the 
delivery of transformative medicines. Cytiva is a trusted expert with nearly 10 
000 associates in 40 countries dedicated to customers' speed, flexibility, 
capacity and efficiency in drug discovery, research, and manufacturing.

About VivaZome Therapeutics

VivaZome Therapeutics Pty Ltd is a privately held Australian biotech company, 
with operational headquarters at the La Trobe University Technology Enterprise 
Centre in Melbourne, Australia. VivaZome aims to develop and commercialize 
exosome-based therapies for debilitating and/or life-threatening disorders, 
with an initial focus on ischemia, fibrotic disease and neurological disorders.

For more information, please visit www.vivazome.com. 
source: Cytiva