Posted: 26 November 2025
A pioneering biologic aimed at interferon-driven autoimmune diseases was recognised with the top honour at this year’s Early-Stage Innovation Forum (ESIF), held during the AusBiotech International Conference 2025 in Melbourne. The accolade was awarded to Professor Claudia Nold, Group Head of Interventional Immunology at Monash University and the Hudson Institute of Medical Research, for IL-38Fc — a potential first-in-class therapy intended to temper the overactive immune pathways implicated in conditions such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), Sjögren’s syndrome and systemic sclerosis.
Professor Nold’s presentation, A Novel Checkpoint Biologic for Interferon-Driven Autoimmune Diseases, was judged the most persuasive among a highly competitive cohort. “This has been an incredible opportunity to gain insights from leading biotech experts and to ignite both national and global interest in early-stage discoveries emerging from Australia,” Professor Nold said following the announcement.
ESIF, delivered twice each year at the AusMedtech and AusBiotech conferences, has been regarded as an important platform for elevating early-stage concepts, offering researchers and start-ups an environment to refine ideas, obtain expert critique and strengthen commercialisation pathways across biotechnology, medtech and digital health. This year’s group delivered rapid-fire pitches to a panel drawn from industry, investment and multinational pharmaceutical organisations.
AusBiotech Deputy CEO Rosanne Hyland acknowledged the exceptional calibre of submissions, noting the difficulty involved in selecting a winner. Judges were said to have been impressed by the originality, technical depth and potential impact across all projects presented.
Professor Nold’s winning work centred on IL-38Fc, a biologic designed to harness endogenous anti-inflammatory mechanisms and modulate the immune system by acting on an early checkpoint in the interferon-signalling cascade. The therapy aimed to prevent the heightened immune activation characteristic of several autoimmune diseases, and its development was underscored by the fact that only two targeted therapies were approved globally for SLE.
The IL-38Fc initiative had been advanced through a Monash–BioCurate collaboration, bringing together expertise in immunology, protein engineering, structural biology, rheumatology and neonatal medicine. The team is now seeking investment to progress the biologic through preclinical and investigational new drug–enabling studies, with the objective of commencing clinical evaluation within two years.
Professor Nold also recognised the broader team effort, expressing her gratitude to AusBiotech and the ESIF panel for supporting translational research that improves outcomes for patients and families.
