Prevention Of Multi-drug Resistant Tuberculosis In A High Prevalence Setting: ‘Connecting The DOTS’ In Vietnam
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$3,382,020.00
Summary
The close contacts of people with multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) have a high risk of developing the disease. The V-QUIN MDR-TB Trial will evaluate the effectiveness of an oral antibiotic (levofloxacin) in preventing drug resistant TB among infected household contacts of TB patients. Household contacts from 10 Provinces in Vietnam will be randomly allocated to receive six-months of either levofloxacin or a placebo, and then followed for two years to see if they develop tuberculosis.
A Randomised Controlled Trial (RCT) Of Azithromycin Versus Doxycycline For The Treatment Of Rectal Chlamydia Infection In Men Who Have Sex With Men.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$797,906.00
Summary
Rectal chlamydia is very common among gay men; it can exist for long periods without symptoms leading to ongoing transmission. Azithromycin (1 gram single dose) or 7 days doxycycline (100mg twice daily) are the two recommended treatments globally. But, there is concern about rectal chlamydia treatment with reports of up to 22% failure following azithromycin. We will conduct a randomised trial to compare these treatments for rectal chlamydia and determine which drug works better.
Multicentre Trial Of Calcium Channel Blocker Versus Calcium Channel Blocker Plus Cox2 Inhibitor In Preterm Labour
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$644,130.00
Summary
Preterm birth is a major problem in our society, and has enormous consequences for parents and children. It also has a major impact on scarce financial resources. When women present in preterm labor, current therapies have only limited success in stopping contractions and postponing birth. They have not been shown to reduce the rates of the serious neonatal problems associated with prematurity. This project will be coordinated in Newcastle, N.S.W., and will involve major perinatal centres throug ....Preterm birth is a major problem in our society, and has enormous consequences for parents and children. It also has a major impact on scarce financial resources. When women present in preterm labor, current therapies have only limited success in stopping contractions and postponing birth. They have not been shown to reduce the rates of the serious neonatal problems associated with prematurity. This project will be coordinated in Newcastle, N.S.W., and will involve major perinatal centres throughout Australia, along with overseas centres. It will test a new combination of drugs for their ability to postpone delivery in women presenting with preterm labour. It is postulated that the combination of drugs will be more effective than existing therapies. The drugs used in the trial are Nifedipine and Rofecoxib. Complications of prematurity include neonatal death, cerebral palsy, visual and hearing impairment, and chronic lung disease. These complications are most significant in extremely premature infants - in particular, those under 28 weeks gestation at the time of their delivery. For this reason, the study will focus only on women presenting in labour below 28 weeks. The ability to stop labour is important, but the main aim of any treatment for preterm labour is to reduce the rates of neonatal death and handicap. Babies born to women enrolled in this study will be followed for a period of one year after birth to assess their outcomes. It is our hypothesis that the combination of Rofecoxib and Nifedipine will result in lower rates of death and handicap in babies than Nifedipine alone. In addition, we will examine the rates of side effects in women receiving therapy. Currently used therapies, including intravenous ventolin, have high rates of maternal side effects. Nifedipine and Rofecoxib have both been shown to have low rates of maternal side effects.Read moreRead less
Radiotherapy Treatment For Prostate Cancer - A Change In Practice Based On Direct Evidence For Targeting And Toxicity Effects Using Real Outcomes Data
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$555,129.00
Summary
Radiotherapy for prostate cancer treatment will be more effective when we have better knowledge of what patient anatomy needs to be targeted, and what needs to be avoided. This project will combine data collected during a large Australasian prostate cancer radiotherapy trial, ‘RADAR’, with data collected using new patient imaging methods to determine how patient anatomy impacts on the effectiveness of their treatment and the side-effects they experience.
Protecting Australia And The Region From Emerging And Re-emerging Infectious Diseases.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$774,540.00
Summary
The world is facing unprecedented threats from epidemics. In 2014 Ebola showed that issues such as quarantine, personal protective equipment and improved health system capacity are just as critical as drugs and vaccines, yet these are under-researched. Professor MacIntyre is an international expert epidemic control. She will lead a strategic research program to improve control of emerging and re-emerging infections, using her expertise in vaccines, personal protective equipment and biosecurity.
Development Of A New High Throughput Screen For Drug Binding To HERG K+ Channels
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$351,320.00
Summary
Inadvertent drug block of hERG, a potassium channel in the heart, can cause cardiac arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death. Screening for hERG toxicity has become a major hurdle for development of new drugs. We will use a mutant hERG protein that has enhanced drug binding to develop a high throughput test for hERG toxicity. Identification of dangerous drugs early in the drug discovery process will save the pharmaceutical industry millions of dollars in the costs of brining new drugs to market.
Centre Of Research Excellence In Medicines Intelligence
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,500,000.00
Summary
The NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence in Medicines Intelligence is a co-ordinated research program that will accelerate the development and translation of evidence on prescribed medicines use and outcomes for regulators and payers. The CRE is perfectly placed to embrace the national ‘call to action’ from the Health Minister's recent announcement to establish Quality Use of Medicine Safety as a National Health Priority.
A Randomised Open-label Study Comparing The Safety And Efficacy Of Two Alternative Treatment Options In The Management Of HIV-1 Infected Participants Who Have Virologically Failed A Standard First-line Combination ART Regimen
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$457,676.00
Summary
For the past decade there has been an unprecedented international effort to provide access to care for all HIV-infected people as a basic human right. Most of these people are treated with a simple combination of drugs that are well proven to control HIV. However, what to do when this first drug combination stops working is unknown. This study aims to fill that knowledge gap so that patients failing the first drug combination can be offered a second combination with a maximal chance of success.
Glycine Transporters regulate the concentration of glycine in the spinal cord and brain. It has been suggested that elevating glycine levels in these regions may be useful in treating pain and schizophrenia. This project will provide the basis for the development of new glycine transport inhibitors that may be used to treat these conditions.
Glucocorticoid Resistance In Paediatric Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$394,721.00
Summary
Glucocorticoids are among the most effective drugs used in the treatment of many haematological malignancies, including leukaemia, lymphoma and multiple myeloma. However, the development of tumour cell resistance to these drugs remains a significant problem, and clinically relevant mechanisms of glucocorticoid resistance remain poorly understood. This project aims to define mechanisms of resistance to glucocorticoids and develop new drugs to reverse resistance.