Clinical Studies Of Novel Antiviral Therapies In Advanced Chronic Hepatitis B Virus Infection.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$64,631.00
Summary
There is an urgent need to develop therapies for treating and preventing Hepatitis B antiviral resistance, particularly in patients with advanced liver disease. Investigator-initiated clinical studies will be performed to examine a) the most effective therapy for preventing antiviral resistance and Hepatitis B recurrence following liver transplantation and b) the effect of a novel Hepatitis B antiviral, tenofovir, on multi-resistant chronic Hepetatis B infection.
Effect Zoledronic Acid And Risedronate On The Preservation Of The Femoral Head In A Rat Model Of Perthes Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$199,750.00
Summary
Perthes Disease (Legg-Perthes Disease) is a common childhood disorder, which leads to collapse and deformity of the growing hip joint. This can lead to arthritis in adult life, as well as a short leg on the affected side. The cause is as yet unknown. A class of drugs called bisphosphonates has been shown to help children with osteogenesis imperfecta (brittle bone disease). We believe, based on our extensive studies of the effect of these drugs on bone healing, that they could also help children ....Perthes Disease (Legg-Perthes Disease) is a common childhood disorder, which leads to collapse and deformity of the growing hip joint. This can lead to arthritis in adult life, as well as a short leg on the affected side. The cause is as yet unknown. A class of drugs called bisphosphonates has been shown to help children with osteogenesis imperfecta (brittle bone disease). We believe, based on our extensive studies of the effect of these drugs on bone healing, that they could also help children with Perthes disease. Although proving to be safe and effective in children with osteogenesis imperfecta, before exposing children with Perthes disease to the risk of any side effects, animal studies are needed. A certain type of rat called the spontaneously hypertensive rat gets a condition almost exactly the same as Perthes disease. This study will treat a large number of these rats and perform detailed study into whether it has a positive effect on preserving the shape of the hip joint, as well as looking into how this actually occurs. A successful outcome would pave the way for trials in children with Perthes disease, and could result in the avoidance of surgery and improved health outcomes for the children.Read moreRead less
Implementation Research To Guide The Elimination Of HIV Transmission In NSW
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,499,409.00
Summary
The implementation of new biomedical forms of HIV prevention since 2015 has been accompanied by a 40% reduction in HIV diagnoses in gay and bisexual men in New South Wales (NSW). Reductions in HIV have been much smaller in the overseas-born, the young, and in those living outside of inner Sydney. We propose a 5-year program of implementation research, integrated with the NSW HIV Strategy 2021-25, which will see NSW become the first jurisdiction globally to virtually eliminate HIV.
Antimalarial Drugs In Pregnancy: Preclinical And Clinical Studies Of Conventional And Novel Agents
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$470,115.00
Summary
Women in malaria-endemic areas such as coastal PNG are at high risk of malaria in pregnancy. To prevent the substantially increased malaria-associated morbidity and mortality in mother and child, and because even asymptomatic infections can be deleterious, there has been a move to giving antimalarial drugs regularly during pregnancy regardless of the mother's clinical or parasitological status. In poor tropical countries, such treatment usually comprises safe and inexpensive agents such as chlor ....Women in malaria-endemic areas such as coastal PNG are at high risk of malaria in pregnancy. To prevent the substantially increased malaria-associated morbidity and mortality in mother and child, and because even asymptomatic infections can be deleterious, there has been a move to giving antimalarial drugs regularly during pregnancy regardless of the mother's clinical or parasitological status. In poor tropical countries, such treatment usually comprises safe and inexpensive agents such as chloroquine and Fansidar. There are two main issues with this approach. First, the efficacy of such conventional agents is waning and this increases the risk of break-through malaria. Second, there are few data on how the drugs are handled in pregnancy on which to base recommendations for treatment. We plan to collect information on the disposition and effectiveness of chloroquine and Fansidar in women with malaria in pregnancy in PNG that should allow a critical appraisal of the usefulness of current regimens in PNG and in other tropical countries where parasite resistance to these agents is emerging. Artemisinin combination therapy (ACT) in the form of a novel artemisinin drug and a longer-acting partner has been suggested as the most promising alternative therapy for malaria in pregnancy if conventional drugs fail. We plan to assess the safety of a leading ACT formulation, namely dihydroartemisinin and the chloroquine-like drug piperaquine (DHA-PQ), in animals before extending our studies to women with malaria in PNG. These latter studies will allow an evaluation of the safety and efficacy of DHA-PQ as novel therapy for malaria in pregnancy in PNG and other tropical countries.Read moreRead less
The Arthroplasty Surgical Antibiotic Prophylaxis (ASAP) Study
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$3,509,985.00
Summary
The demand for total joint replacement surgery will double over the next decade. Infection involving the surgical wound is a devastating complication of this surgery. Half of all infections are due to methicillin resistant Staphylococcus (such as MRSA) and Enterococcus. This multicentre randomised controlled trial aims to investigate whether the addition of vancomycin at the time of surgery reduces the incidence of surgical wound infections; is safe and is cost-effective.