Apiam Animal Health to establish new laboratory to develop viral vaccines in Bendigo

The new lab will be run by Apiam Animal Health and is set to be built next to the company's headquarters in Pipers Lane. Construction is scheduled to be finished by 2025.

Apiam will be one of the few companies in Australia to manufacture custom and autogenous viral vaccines.

Apiam Animal Health managing director Chris Richards said the new lab would increase the company's ability to deliver more animal health solutions to protect Victorian agriculture.

"This is quite significant. This lab is being be built to make vaccines for diseases that currently have any vaccine solutions," he said. "We are getting emerging viruses that are occurring in our animal health industry. This production facility will be able to make vaccines rapidly for those viruses.

"There are companies that make mass production vaccines but there is no (Australian) company that makes specific vaccines for specific farmers.

"When animals get sick and there's no solution for it, (farmers) take that personally. People that work on farms care for the animals very much and they need solutions."

Currently, Apiam makes autogenous vaccines for bacterial diseases in pigs, poultry and cattle where there are existing market gaps or no commercial vaccines available.

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Autogenous vaccines are designed to combat a range of diseases affecting livestock and help reduce the widespread use of preventative medications in stockfeed.

"On this site, (there is currently) a distribution centre. So we will have viral vaccine production here close to our distribution centre that already distributes vaccine throughout Australia.

"We already have vaccine facility that makes vaccines against bacteria but this is about viruses.

"There is certainly a need in the industry against existing viruses particularly Japanese encephalitis, which is having an effect through regional Victoria. Our aim is to get this facility built as quickly as we can to help our farmers."

Regional development and agriculture minister Mary-Anne Thomas said the company would provide $700,000 to the project through the state government's Regional Jobs Fund.

"This state-of-the-art facility will enable vaccines to be manufactured locally to prevent biosecurity risks and better protect animals from viral disease outbreaks," Minister for Regional Development and Agriculture Mary-Anne Thomas said.

"This project underpins the sustainability and growth of agricultural businesses in regional Victoria, while creating dozens of local jobs.

"We need to be alert to new and incoming threats in the agricultural sector, ensuring we are doing research and developing of vaccines to protect the agricultural sector is vital."

Apiam is also working with La Trobe University researchers who have developed new technology to allow for safe and rapid vaccine production.

The new laboratory will see Apiam able to increase export of vaccines for the international market. It is set to create 40 new full-time jobs through the laboratory.

"We're really excited to create jobs and opportunities in Bendigo," Ms Thomas said. "Bendigo is already home to so many vet services, clinics and industries, we are delighted to invest in high value, advanced manufacturing that creates 40 new jobs.

"Apiam works in collaboration with La Trobe University and is bringing the best of scientific research with commercial know-how to deliver for our farmers."

Apiam operates more than 70 veterinary clinics, diagnostic and vaccine laboratories, genetic centres and ancillary services. It is the country's largest veterinary services provider for Australia's livestock industry.