Australia announces USD 32.69M in funding for AHF program

The Australian Government has announced A$50m ($32.69m) in funding for the Artificial Heart Frontiers Programme, which aims to advance and commercialise implantable cardiac devices to provide long-term solutions for various forms of heart failure.

The funding marks the third-largest grant issued in the nearly decade-long tenure of the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF).

Monash University will lead the consortium, which will develop three ‘life-changing’ cardiac technologies.

The three devices include the Mini-Pump, a compact device implanted directly in the heart for patients with no alternative treatment options; a new Left Ventricle Assist Device (LVAD) type that aids the natural heart in pumping; and BiVACOR’s Total Artificial Heart (TAH), which completely replaces a patient’s heart.

Together, these innovations form what is termed the Total Artificial Heart.

The consortium comprises: the Alfred, Baker Heart & Diabetes Institute, BiVACOR, Griffith University, St Vincent’s Health Australia, University of New South Wales, University of Queensland and University of Sydney.

The Monash Alfred Baker Centre for Cardiovascular Research at the Alfred will be the hub for this project.

Current heart devices are limited by a fixed blood flow rate, which can leave patients breathless and restrict their activities. The new devices aim to overcome this limitation, offering a more natural and responsive solution. Medical Device Network