NZ health research back in the starter blocks

For Immediate Release June 8 2011

NZ health research back in the starter blocks

New Zealand should see some innovative, local medical solutions if the recommendations of a parliamentary Health Select Committee are adopted.

More funding and smoother processes to allow clinical trials by New Zealand groups have been recommended by Parliament’s Health Select Committee. That follows an extensive “Inquiry into improving New Zealand’s environment to support innovation through clinical trials”.

David Clarke, director of Cranleigh Health, was the specialist adviser to the select committee and with the Cranleigh team came up with a series of recommendations delivered to the committee in The Cranleigh Report.

Mr Clarke says it is critical New Zealand recognises it is falling behind in the clinical trials field: “Australia spends around $600 million and New Zealand’s investment has fallen from around $100 million to $45 million. Clearly we have been losing competitive advantage and not fully utilising our world-renowned scientific capabilities.”

Mr Clarke says while New Zealand spends $13.8 billion on health, it has not had a national clinical research strategy. He points to Counties Manukau District Health Board’s Innovation Health Hub as a potential model for what can be achieved by district health boards. Counties Manukau has invested in significant infrastructure, he says, and now very capably runs clinical trials and develops medical devices.

“However, if we want solutions for New Zealand’s intrinsic health problems, we also have to get big pharmaceutical and biotechnologies companies to invest here again,” he says. “If we do it will be New Zealand patients who benefit, plus it will up skill New Zealand’s R&D sector.”

Dr Neil Domigan, a director and part of the Cranleigh Health team, says the select committee recommends a contestable innovative clinical trial fund be established

“This recommendation will send a positive signal to big bio and pharma that the NZ clinical trial industry is open for business,” Dr Domigan says. “Another major recommendation is streamlining of the ethics approval process for clinical trials. New Zealand has been well recognised for its rigour in the ethic process, but the process has been slow.”

The select committee wants its recommendations implemented within 12 to 18 months.

For the Health Select Committee report click here
For The Cranleigh Report click here

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