Over the past 30 years, 18,000 clinical trials that have been registered in Australia, with the sector contributing $1.4 billion to Australia’s economy annually. Trials are a critical aspect of evidence-based medicine, and are essential for testing how new treatments, tests and vaccines will work. In New Zealand they contribute $146 million to the New Zealand economy.
Australia and New Zealand have established themselves as ideal locations to host clinical trials due to their diverse participant populations, sophisticated healthcare and research environments as well as government backed support. Both countries have adopted the International Council for Harmonisation (ICH) Guideline for Good Clinical Practice (GCP) to ensure all trials collect high quality and credible data that is internationally recognised.
To capitalise on this unique position and growth, a coordinated multi-site clinical research operation was missing.
Now, three of the largest clinical trial organisations across Australia and New Zealand have united to form Momentum Clinical Research – an end-to-end clinical research network with sites that have been operating for over 20 years. Combined, they have 13 site locations across the Trans-Tasman and are set to open more locations to allow more studies to take place and enable everyday people to access new and emerging therapies.
In February 2024, New Zealand’s renowned P3 Research joined forces with Australia’s AusTrials and Holdsworth House to form Momentum Clinical Research. The combined entity can now provide sponsors a single point of contact for their current 13 sites across the two countries,
Momentum Clinical Research aims to provide quick responses to feasibility requests, faster study starts and accelerated recruitment – all leading to the delivery of high-quality results for Phase 1b-IV clinical trials. Momentum Clinical Research has become the only Trans-Tasman network of clinical trial sites.
Australian Health Journal spoke with Aus Trials Research Director, Dr Munro Neville, on the Australian clinical trial landscape more broadly and reasons for creating a Trans-Tasman clinical research organisation.
Further growth in the industry is expected, with the Australian Government having pledged $750 million to increase clinical trial activity between 2022-2032. Similarly, the New Zealand Government has invested $98 million into health research funding from 2017-2027 to facilitate the conduct of clinical trials.
-
4 Years On
Launched 4 years ago, the Queensland Health’s Nurse Navigator program was created for patients with complex care needs. The Nurse Navigators are Advanced Practice Nurses and Midwives that help patients with care coordination and care planning.
A Nurse Navigator has the system knowledge and access, clinical skills and time to understand each person’s needs and to partner with them to develop a plan of care that addresses their health needs and respects and values their time and circumstances.
-
Nuclear medicine funding a win for men with prostate cancer
Australian men with higher risk prostate cancer now have access to a nuclear medicine scan to help detect and treat metastatic disease, after it was listed on the Medical Benefits Schedule (MBS) from 1st July 2022.
In 2021 over 18,000 Australian men were diagnosed with prostate cancer, resulting in over 3,000 lives being lost – and making prostate cancer Australia’s second most common cause of cancer death in men.
Australian Health Journal spoke with AANMS President Associate Professor Sze Ting Lee and Dr Geoff Schembri on the MBS listing and the efforts to get it listed.
-
Sharing the same goals in value-based procurement
Value-based procurement (VBP) is a journey, not a sprint. It’s about putting the patient at the centre of quality affordable healthcare through changes in procurement practices for medical technologies. Patient outcomes drive value and sustainability, not just price. The bigger picture indicates that VBP will create system cost saving through benefitting patients, rather than trying to attain the reverse – a win-win outcome.
