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Final consultation begins on draft prioritisation vehicle for health research

News Article

12 March 2019

Consultation opens today into the draft prioritisation vehicle that will drive health research investment in New Zealand up until 2027.

Feedback is sought on the proposed model through an online survey that will run for three weeks, from 12 March to 1 April.

Feedback from this round of consultation will lead to the final prioritisation vehicle and health research priority actions being established in mid-2019.

This consultation is a joint initiative between the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) and the Health Research Council of New Zealand (HRC). The three agencies have been working with an independent Development Group to establish a model that will create enduring change for the life of the New Zealand Health Research Strategy (2017-2027) and beyond.

An initial round of consultation, held in September and October last year, captured a wealth of information from a wide range of stakeholders. In addition to health researchers, feedback came from NGOs, consumers, government agencies, clinicians and allied health professionals; insights also came from consultation workshops with Māori, Pacific and disability communities. That feedback formed the basis of the revised prioritisation model developed by the independent Development Group.

The revised model and consultation document, along with background to the prioritisation process to date, is all available on the consultation page of the HRC website.

Anyone unable to fill out the online survey is welcome to email their responses to Dr Patricia Anderson, the HRC's chief advisor for Research Policy, Strategy and Evaluation, at panderson@hrc.govt.nz .
New discovery provides potential improvement in breast cancer treatment

Media Release

1 March 2019

New Zealand research scientists and clinicians along with collaborators in the United Kingdom, Singapore and China are a step closer to bringing a new clinical tool or biomarker, to guide clinical decision-making in the management of breast cancer, to market.

A cancer-related protein, named SHON (secreted hominoid-specific oncogene), has been demonstrated to be significantly associated with breast cancer’s response to treatment. Not only can it accurately predict if a patient will benefit from endocrine therapy, but it can also predict a patient’s response to chemotherapy before surgical removal of the tumour.

Dong-Xu Liu, Associate Professor at AUT and the lead researcher of this study, received a $200,000 grant for his work from the Breast Cancer Research Partnership of the Health Research Council, Breast Cancer Cure and Breast Cancer Foundation NZ. Breast Cancer Foundation NZ gave two additional grants totalling $160,000.

Liu says, “Breast cancer is curable if treated in a timely fashion and with the correct therapy. We might have found a way to improve the efficacy of endocrine therapy, the most widely-used breast cancer treatment for two-thirds of breast cancer patients.

“We can now predict those who will not respond to the therapy and they may now receive alternative treatment improving their chance of survival from breast cancer and allowing them to lead a quality life after cancer.”

These findings have the potential to change the current clinical practice of breast cancer management around the world. In fact, doctors would have a reliable prognostic tool to use in their treatment decision-making process. The research manuscript has now been accepted for publication in the British Journal of Cancer, a prestigious journal in the field.

Liu continues, “Breast cancer affects one in nine New Zealand women in their lifetime and accounts for almost half of the cancers in NZ women. Our findings would allow breast cancer patients to receive treatments that are the most appropriate to their characteristics, therefore improving treatment response and saving lives.”

Annually there are 2.1 million new cases of female breast cancer around the world and despite improved treatment options it is understood that 626,000 women still die from the disease each year. It is also now known that breast cancer is not a single disease, but a complex group of diseases that are highly heterogeneous in their genotype, phenotype, sensitivity to treatment and clinical outcome.

Liu says, “Our next step is to apply for funding for a feasibility study before conducting a randomised control clinical trial in the near future. This is a pivotal point in the research and one we would not have achieved were it not for the support and funding we have received to date. I am indebted to the people and organisations who have stuck with me through this long journey.”

Phillipa Green, General Manager at Breast Cancer Cure, says, “It is hugely satisfying to fund a study of this nature as once the work is complete it will assist clinicians to tailor treatment more specifically to a patient’s cancer which will improve the outcome. This is why we all fundraise – to ensure we can put money into life-changing research.”

Evangelia Henderson, Chief Executive at Breast Cancer Foundation NZ, says, “Biomarkers and tests that predict with a high degree of accuracy how well a patient will respond to breast cancer treatment will play a huge role in reducing deaths. We look forward to seeing what happens next as a result of Dr Liu’s excellent study.”

Pictured: Dong-Xu Liu, Associate Professor at AUT and the lead researcher of this study.
Professor Kathryn McPherson

Health Research Council CEO to step down

Media Release

The chairman of the Health Research Council of New Zealand, Dr Lester Levy, has announced that the chief executive, Professor Kathryn McPherson, will step down from the role in mid-2019.

Over the past four years, while health research has been firmly on the government’s agenda, Professor McPherson has headed a number of measures for maximising the value and benefit of health research for all New Zealanders.

Dr Levy says Kath McPherson has solidly championed the objectives and principles of the New Zealand Health Research Strategy, ensuring the crown agency is well-positioned to continue bringing the Strategy to life.

He says the Health Research Council (HRC) is leading the way in aligning the nation’s health research efforts and improving health outcomes for Māori and Pacific peoples, as well as developing a strong and capable health research workforce.

“As a strong advocate for ensuring value in research, Kath has also overseen changes to HRC’s assessment processes which aim to deliver greater impact from our investments and a clearer pathway to translating research findings into policy and practice.”

Professor McPherson says helping position the HRC as a leader and weaver in connecting health research with the end-users of research has been a highlight of her time at the HRC.

“It’s been an absolute privilege to work with the team and Council, as well as researchers, ministry colleagues and so many other interested people wanting to ensure that the Health Research Strategy delivers for New Zealand and New Zealanders,” she says.

“Researchers in our universities, hospitals and communities are incredibly dedicated and it’s been great to see their commitment recognised by way of increased funding over the last few years.”

Professor McPherson will continue leading the HRC while a search for her successor takes place over the next few months.

Dr Levy says the HRC has been exceeding its goals in key focus areas, such as achieving health equity, and is looking for someone to build on this momentum.

“Heading the HRC is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to steer the direction and potential of health research in New Zealand.

“It’s in the interests of the New Zealand public and all stakeholders that we find the most suitable candidate to pick up where Kath leaves off, ensuring publicly-funded research has high impact and real benefits for New Zealanders.”
New report sheds light on clinical trial activity in New Zealand

Media Release
A new report by the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ANZCTR) provides a comprehensive profile of clinical trials in New Zealand registered between 2006-2015.

The report ranks New Zealand within the top tier internationally of trials per capita, with about 2,500 clinical trials conducted during the decade.

These trials ranged from single-site New Zealand-only trials through to multinational mega-trials. A total of 1.6 million participants were enrolled, taking into account the New Zealand and overseas arms of the trials. More than 50% of trials in NZ were multinational, and Industry was involved in 55% of registered clinical trials. The most frequently studied health issues were cancer, cardiovascular disease and respiratory diseases.

The Health Research Council of New Zealand (HRC) supports registration of all New Zealand health research and has been the key contact for the ANZCTR since its establishment in 2005. The HRC alone has contributed more than $94 million to clinical trials in New Zealand within the timeframe captured in the report.

“Clinical trials are a pillar of an effective and efficient health system, and this report provides unprecedented detail on the landscape of clinical trials in New Zealand,” says Professor Kath McPherson, chief executive of the Health Research Council of New Zealand.

“The data show that clinical trial activity in New Zealand is high by international standards and has risen significantly over the decade, providing vital evidence for health sector decision-makers, opportunities for health professionals to engage in research, and enabling New Zealanders to access the best available healthcare options.”

She adds that the high rate of international collaboration, as reflected in this report, brings benefits to New Zealand by providing access to larger participant numbers and more conclusive answers to important questions. It also means patients can access treatments that aren’t yet in usage in New Zealand. “This report demonstrates that the value of the ANZCTR exceeds its core purpose to enable fulfilment of ethical requirements. The Registry also provides data to identify national trends, strengths and opportunities to inform the future health research agenda,” says Prof McPherson.

“We welcome the high-quality data collection that’s enabled this report and encourage New Zealand researchers to continue to register their trials and update their data throughout the lifecycle of the trial.”

The report draws upon data collected through the ANZCTR and ClinicalTrials.gov, which combined are estimated to capture 82% of registered trials with New Zealand sites.

Key findings of the report:

·         During the decade 2006-2015, clinical trial activity in New Zealand has been substantial, with 2,485 clinical trials conducted with one or more New Zealand sites. More than 1.6 million participants were enrolled, taking into account the New Zealand and overseas arms of the trials.

·         On a per capita basis this level of activity compares favourably with other countries internationally, with New Zealand being in the top tier of national clinical trial activity; above Australia, Norway, Ireland, Canada, and the UK, for example, and below Denmark.

·         A large proportion of New Zealand clinical trials are multinational (51% compared to 33% for Australian trials), demonstrating a high degree of international connectedness and collaboration. Australia is the top collaborator with New Zealand, but other countries that New Zealand trialists have a high level of collaboration with include the United States, Canada, Germany and the United Kingdom.

·         A greater proportion of New Zealand trials have industry involvement compared to Australian trials (55% versus 45% respectively). A range of non-commercial funders in New Zealand also support clinical trials.

·         Clinical trials in New Zealand assess multiple types of interventions, including drug treatments (52%), surgery (4%), medical devices (13%), behavioural therapies (6%) and prevention strategies (9%). The range of activities includes large multicentre phase 3 trials that are likely to impact clinical practice directly, as well as early-phase trials testing novel therapies or interventions that may become the new best treatments of tomorrow.

·         There has been proportionally more activity in the areas of greatest national disease burden, with the most common disease areas studied in New Zealand clinical trials being cancer, cardiovascular disease and respiratory diseases, representing 15%, 13% and 11% of all trials, respectively. However, some areas of high disease burden such as musculoskeletal disorders, mental disorders, and injuries remain under-represented.

·         The decade has seen several interesting national trends in registration of clinical trial activity:
- Moderate growth in the total number of trials registered each year, mainly reflecting increases in smaller-scale trials and non-drug interventions.
- Increase in the number of New Zealand trials registered prospectively (i.e. before enrolment of the first participant) with this sitting at around 75% at the end of the decade.
- A marked increase in phase 1 trials as a proportion of clinical drug trials registered over the decade, from 6% in 2006 to 30% in 2015.
- The absolute number of New Zealand registered trials sponsored by the commercial sector has increased over time.
- Reduction in trial size over the decade – from a median of 230 participants per trial down to 80. This may reflect appropriate changes in design for more targeted therapies or, conversely, inappropriate reductions in sample size resulting in trials that are underpowered to detect significant, but moderate, treatment benefits. This is an area which warrants further in-depth assessment.
· Along with this good news, the report highlights that New Zealand has huge potential to grow capability and capacity for clinician-led trials in the non-commercial sector, for example comparative effectiveness research, non-drug interventions (such as behavioural therapy), and interventions for more effective prevention and diagnosis. We also need to increase our understanding of which clinical trials have resulted in translation of evidence for the benefit of patients and/or the broader community.