Health and Medical Research: Challenges ARE Opportunities

Cardiovascular Combination Pharmacotherapy

Global Summit, 2014: From concept to reality

Professor Warwick Anderson AM

NHMRC Chief Executive Officer

8 May 2014

Challenges and Opportunities

For government funders, for researchers and institutions: • Post GFC – stable funding • Multidisciplinary, “big science”, data • International collaboration • Focus on outcomes

– health and wealth – community

Ensuring quality – the “reproducibility “ challenge

Health & Medical Research – benefiting Australia

Development Grants Review

Independent, commissioned assessment of the outcomes from NHMRC

Development Grants, available from

http://www.nhmrc.gov.au/_files_nhmrc/file/media/media/rel12/nhmrc_development_grants_r

eview_april_public_121122.pdf

40 completed grants surveyed:

– 85% reached complete or partial proof of concept at completion of the

grant;

– 80% had secured a commercial partner (mostly Australian biotech firms);

– 55% are currently under some form of possible commercial development;

and

– 6 have resulted in product to market or are awaiting regulatory approval

$703,065.00 $715,479.00 $746,075.00 $760,463.00 $774,227.00 $788,958.00 $804,165.00

$-

$100,000.00

$200,000.00

$300,000.00

$400,000.00

$500,000.00

$600,000.00

$700,000.00

$800,000.00

$900,000.00

2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16

Medical Research Endowment Account forward estimates

NHMRC Grant Funding related to Clinical Trials

$0

$20,000,000

$40,000,000

$60,000,000

$80,000,000

$100,000,000

$120,000,000

$140,000,000

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

Includes all grants. Source: http://www.nhmrc.gov.au/_files_nhmrc/file/grants/dataset/2013/clinical_trials_2000_2013.xlsx

$0

$20

$40

$60

$80

$100

$120

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

Millions

NHMRC Grant Funding related to cardiovascular disease and health

Project Grants n = 2,216

Program Grants n = 68

NHMRC’s PRIORITY ACTIONS - Grants

Development Grants n = 43

Centres of Research Excellence

n = 65

Create new knowledge

Accelerate research

translation

Build capability

Partnerships for Better Health Projects

and Centres n = 69 & 2

n = number of active grants as at January 2014

Career Development

Fellowship n = 257

Early Career Fellowship

n = 594

Research Fellowship

n = 427

Practitioner Fellowship

n = 82

Translating Research into

Practice Fellowships

n = 12

Scholarships n = 340

Targeted Calls for Research

Basic Science Clinical Science

Health Services Research Public Health

App Year mean mean mean mean

2001 2.1 2.9 3.1 3.4

2004 2.3 3.2 3.7 4

2007 2.5 3.5 4.6 4.4

2010 2.4 3.6 5 4.7

2013 2.6 3.9 5.4 5.1

Increasing multidisciplinary, team approaches CI #’s, project grants

• More CIs on PHR and HSR applications, progressive increases in all areas, more

marked in HSR and PHR

International collaborations

Global Alliance for Chronic

Disease research

European Union

International Cancer Genome

Consortium

A*STAR Singapore

Juvenile Diabetes Research

Foundation

California Institute for

Regenerative Medicine

National Institute for Health

Research (UK)

Human Frontier Science Program

National Natural Science Foundation of

China

Examples of collaborative grants

Global Alliance for Chronic Disease

Improving blood pressure (BP) control using a simplified treatment strategy including a three-in-one BP

lowering pill in Indian patients (CIs: Prof Anushka Patel, Prof Stephen Jan, Prof Anthony Rodgers, Dr Pallab

Maulik, Dr Ruth Webster, Dr Dorairaj Prabhakaran, Prof Simon Thom)

Funding: $1,067,559

A*STAR

Boosting effectiveness of new vaccines for dengue, HFMD and influenza by targeting vaccine antigens to Clec9A

on dendritic cells (CIs: Prof Ken Shortman, Dr Sylvie Alonso, Dr Mireille Lahoud, A/Pr Paul MacAry)

Funding: $382,653 with Singapore funding of SG$445,200.

NHMRC-European Union Health Collaborative Research Grant

The Use of a Multidrug Pill in Reducing Cardiovascular Events (UMPIRE) trial (CI: Prof Anthony Rodgers)

Funding: $309,625 with EU funding of AUD$4.7M.

The NHMRC Research Translation Faculty • More than 2500 NHMRC researchers, addressing NHMRC’s Major

Health Issues • Steering group • Developing a “Case for Action”

NHMRC 2013-15 Strategic Plan

1. National Health Priority Areas – Arthritis and musculoskeletal conditions, Asthma, Cancer control,

Cardiovascular and stroke, Dementia, Diabetes Mellitus, Injury prevention and control, Mental health (with a focus on depression), Obesity.

2. Improve the health of Aboriginal peoples and Torres Strait Islanders 3. Preparing Australia for the ‘omics’ revolution in health care 4. Primary health care 5. Improving care of patients with multiple and complex chronic diseases 6. Healthy start for a healthy life 7. Claiming benefits for human health not based on evidence 8. New and emerging health threats 9. Health and research in our region

Research Translation Faculty Over 2,800 Faculty members.

Faculty Steering Groups continue to work on developing shortlisted Cases for Action as follows:

Steering Group Shortlisted Case for Action Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Conditions

Re-fracture prevention in patients with minimal trauma fracture/osteoporosis

Asthma Appropriate prescription and use of asthma medication

Cardiovascular Disease and Stroke Appropriateness and performance in the management of CV disorders in Australia

Dementia Primary prevention of dementia using population strategies and big data sources

Diabetes Mellitus Prevention of Diabetes Mellitus Healthy Start for a Healthy Life Healthy Pregnancy Improving Care for Patients with Multiple and Complex Chronic Disease

Achieving safer and better chronic disease care for people with mental illness

Mental Health Embedding e-mental health services into practice

Obesity Prevention of excess gestational and post-partum weight gain

Primary Health Care Improve assessment and management of absolute cardiovascular disease risk

*Cancer, Injury prevention and control, & Claiming benefits for human health not based on

evidence (shortlisting in progress)

http://www.nhmrc.gov.au/