Celebrating Those That Advance Medicine On The 2009 Clinical Trials Honour Rol

MEDIA RELEASE

Celebrating those that advance medicine with the 2009 Clinical Trials Honour Roll

As acknowledged by the recent budget increases in funding, medical research has a high value to the Australian community. International Clinical Trials Day provides the opportunity to reflect on the importance of clinical research to the community for obtaining the evidence to translate ideas and discoveries into clinical practice, at a time when it is becoming more difficult to attract international clinical trials to Australia (1).

The AccessCR 2009 Clinical Trials Honour Roll recognises 178 individuals and organisations that over the past 2 months have registered their contribution (or that of their colleagues) to Australasian clinical research and can be accessed at: http://www.AccessCR.com.au/2009_Clinical_Trials_Honour_Roll. Special honours go to Ms Stella Green, a research nurse in the renal/neurology department at Cairns Base Hospital in Queensland, who was the most nominated individual for this year's Honour Roll. The Woolcock Institute of Medical Research, based in Glebe in Sydney, NSW was this year's most nominated organisation.

Ms Green started working in clinical trials in Adelaide in 1993, and with a post graduate Certificate in Clinical Trials Management from the University of Canberra, began the Renal clinical trials position at the Cairns Base Hospital in 2004. Since then, the department has enrolled over 150 patients in renal clinical trials for both sponsor companies and collaborative groups through their involvement in the Australian Kidney Trials Network.

Beyond the broad contribution of Ms Green's department to advancing medicine in general, their location in far North Queensland, also provides a unique opportunity for Indigenous populations to become involved in research. "We consider the inclusion of Torres Strait Islanders as important and are the only site worldwide with significant access to this population group. One third of our Renal Patients are Torres St Islanders, so it is important to include this patient group for development of renal drugs."

Ms Green said on accepting the honour, "I am passionate about my work in trials and really enjoy the variety of my everyday work. Our patients enjoy taking part in the trials as they get lots of extra attention. Involvement in clinical trials allows us to play a part in national and international drug development."

The Woolcock Institute of Medical Research (2) is one of Australia's leading respiratory and sleep research organisations established in 1981. They are now classified as one of the top six institutes world-wide, specialising in respiratory and sleep disease. World class specialist researchers are at the forefront of medical research into respiratory and sleep disorders, such as asthma, emphysema, bronchiectasis, chronic bronchitis, cystic fibrosis, sleep apnea, restless legs syndrome, insomnia and a chronobiology research unit at the centre in Glebe, Sydney.

On accepting the honour, Joan Torony (Manager of Clinical Research Operations at the Woolcock Institute of Medical Research) highlighted the important contribution the people who take part in clinical trials make. "Without participants in a clinical trial, developments in the health area would not be possible and no advancement to improve, cure or prevent disease would be possible. People who participate in a clinical trial contribute to the wider community and the generations to follow, by allowing the development of treatment options for diseases."

But it's not just about what trial participants do for the community and future generations. Trial participants have the opportunity to receive treatment and medical care from specialists throughout the trials, and follow up at completion to determine treatment options. "While involved in the trial they undergo procedures and test to assess their disease that may be normally too expensive or have long waiting lists for the general community. All participants are monitored throughout the trial by specialists and our research staff to assess any problems."

With over 700 trials started in Australia annually, over 20,000 trial volunteers and thousands more individual professionals and organisations involved in clinical trials, those listed on the Honour Roll represent only a small fraction of those involved in helping deliver medical advances through clinical research. However, even with this small number, the Honour Roll demonstrates the broad impact of clinical trials across a diversity of roles and organisations ranging from the valuable community members that volunteer for clinical trials, to ethics and governance officers, monitors and researchers, and government, non-profit and commercial organisations sponsoring, funding, running or supplying services and technology to clinical trials.

To view the AccessCR 2009 Clinical Trials Honour Roll, please visit:
http://www.AccessCR.com.au/2009_Clinical_Trials_Honour_Roll.

Media Contact:
Dr Janelle Bowden, Managing Director, AccessCR Pty Ltd.
Phone: 0406 952 659
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://www.AccessCR.com.au

References
(1) Pharmaceuticals Industry Council R&D Taskforce (PIC RDTF) 2009 Forum: Clinical Research in Crisis
Preparing Ourselves for Survival. Held in Sydney, 25/26 March 2009. Slides available for Download at: http://www.pharmacouncil.com.au/resources.php

(2) Woolcock Institute of Medical Research. Visit: http://www.woolcock.org.au/.

Background Information
About AccessCR

AccessCR is an Australian company committed to increasing the awareness of clinical trials, and supporting a strong Australian clinical trials environment by providing information for, and facilitating the participation of, volunteers or research professional in clinical trials. For all you need to know about clinical trials from an Australian perspective, please visit our website: http://www.AccessCR.com.au.

About International Clinical Trials' Day
International Clinical Trials' Day was launched by the European Clinical Research Infrastructure Network (http://www.ecrin.org/) in 2004 to promote clinical trials. It is celebrated on the 20th of May each year recognising the day that James Lind (www.jameslindlibrary.org) started a controlled trial to test different treatments for scurvy in sailors (20th of May 1747).

Supporters
AccessCR gratefully acknowledges the in-kind support of the following organisations that encouraged participation in this event, thereby showing their commitment to supporting and growing Australasian clinical research.
AusBiotech, BiotechnologyNews.net, QCTN, ClinicalTrials NSW, Oracle and Evado

SOURCE: AccessCR