Lifesaving clinical trials network given a $25 million boost

Visiting The Alfred today, Federal Minister for Health Greg Hunt announced $24.6 million to improve the reach of clinical trials into regional Victoria – helping those most in need to access emerging therapies at hospitals closer to home.

The Australian Clinical Trials Network’s ‘TrialHub’ program will create partnerships with regional hospitals – making it easier for older Australians, or those too far away, to participate in a trial.

Director of Anaesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Professor Paul Myles said The Alfred currently has patients enrolled in more than 350 open clinical trials for new drugs, devices and other treatments.

“Clinical research can be incredibly effective – while some studies don’t make a difference, others are literally lifesaving, and give patients access to therapies that they would otherwise need to wait years for.”

“Today’s announcement is a win for our patients as we not only want to improve our patients’ length of life but also their quality of life.”

Minister Hunt said one of the great challenges has been making sure patients around Australia, in rural and regional areas, have access to regional clinical trials. He said TrialHub will change that.

“It’s a national clinical trials hub, and it will be led by The Alfred hospital and Monash University – working with other hospitals and universities throughout Australia to bring clinical trials to people in the regions,” Minister Hunt said.

“Over the course of the next decade we would like to see hundreds of thousands of Australians have access to clinical trials that might not have otherwise been the case. “