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.
You Might also like
-
Nurse recognised for reducing hospital waste
A nurse who started a charity from a granny flat in her parent’s backyard to reduce hospital waste has taken out one of the Australian nursing profession’s most prestigious honours.
-
Family biz succeeds in vaccine approval & distribution
It’s been 10 years since Jenny and Karl Herz started in business. Over the past 10 years they’ve launched Biointelect and Biocelect businesses to help secure approval and distribution for new medicines into Australia.
In this Australian Health Journal interview, Jenny and Karl talk about the journey the husband and wife team took to get the Novavax COVID-19 vaccine (Nuvaxovid) approved and distributed in Australia. The journey didn’t just include talented and diverse skilled staff but also their children working in both organisations.
-
Redefining diversity in clinical trials
Ensuring inclusion, diversity, equity and patient input in the development of novel drugs and medical devices has become well accepted in health care. However appropriate implementation of these elements has been a challenge for many. Only by implementing these conscious inputs can patient outcomes be improved and health disparities in marginalised groups be addressed.
Australian Health Journal spoke to Gillian Mason, Consumer and Community Involvement Lead at Hunter Medical Research Institute in Newcastle, NSW on this topic discussed at the recent ARCS Conference in Sydney.