Indigenous Australian medicines: innovation on regulatory and governance pathways to market

Indigenous peoples in Australia continue to prepare and use Indigenous medicines in their communities, as they have done for tens of thousands of years. There are significant barriers for Indigenous communities seeking to market their medicines: a complex intellectual property system, TGA regime, culturally ineffective Patent laws, a lack of Indigenous-led Research & Development funding and limited pathways to commercialise (topical and pharmaceutical). Through an ARC Indigenous Discovery we investigate a number of key areas that seeks to address unrealised potential.

About the Speaker

Virginia Marshall, Wiradjiri Nyemba yinaa, is the Inaugural Indigenous Postdoctoral Fellow at the Australian National University, with the Schools of Regulation & Global Governance & Fenner Environment and Science. She is the leading legal scholar on Indigenous Australian water rights and recognised by the University of Victoria BC as a Distinguished Woman Scholar. National winner of the AIATSISWEH Stanner Prize for best Indigenous thesis. Author of the award winning seminal book Overturning Aqua Nullius (2017).

Virginia is Principal Solicitor/Director in her law firm. Co-Chair of the national Committee on Aboriginal Water Interests to reform the National Water Initiative. She is a member of the Australian National University's 'Climate Change Institute', Human Research Ethics Committee ANU, inaugural Chair of the Indigenous Research Advisory Group ANU, Water Expert for the World Economic Forum, the Australia Capital Territory Champion, human rights adviser and Executive Board member with the Indigenous Peoples Organisation (Australia), member of the Advisory Panel for an Australian Research Council Laureate Fellow 'Water Justice Hub'.

Virginia was selected as a UN Pacific Delegate to COP26 for the Indigenous Peoples Platform meetings and UN interventions. Co-Chair ANUICEDS Indigenous Cluster. Virginia is the lead CI with an ARC Indigenous Discovery (2022-24) ($1,000,000) and the first in the ANU College of Asia and the Pacific awarded an ARC in this category.

COVID protocols

• Please do not attend this event if you feel unwell, are awaiting the results of a test or are required to self-isolate/quarantine. The ANU's COVID Safety advice can be accessed here.
• The ANU will continue to require that masks be worn indoors for the foreseeable future, except when eating or drinking.
• Attendees are encouraged to use hand sanitiser and the Check in CBR app at the entrance to the building.
• Please maintain good social hygiene by staying 1.5m apart from others and coughing/sneezing into elbows.

This event will be in-person only.