Australia's National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF), and the UK’s National Institute for Health and Care Research are collaborating to fund international clinical trials, offering up to A$5 million per project. The A$30 million initiative targets areas of unmet clinical need, defined as serious health conditions lacking satisfactory prevention, diagnosis, or treatment options. These platform trials will involve partners in both nations and evaluate multiple interventions for various medical conditions concurrently.
The joint funding arose from discussions between Australia and the UK following the World Health Assembly in May 2022, which aimed to enhance clinical trials worldwide through cross-country collaboration. According to an NHMRC spokesperson, the platform trial model proved effective during the COVID-19 pandemic by rapidly integrating new therapies and delivering timely results.
The collaboration builds on a longstanding funding partnership between Australia and the UK, focusing on shared research priorities such as cancers, stroke, neurodegenerative diseases, and obesity. Steve Wesselingh, chief executive of NHMRC, stated that the grants would "allow us to explore untapped global talent" and that the outcomes of these trials could "help combat many health challenges where there is an unmet clinical need."
This initiative also reflects closer collaboration between the NHMRC and the MRFF, which will operate under a joint steering committee and advisory committees. The MRFF is contributing A$10 million, while the NHMRC is providing A$5 million towards the platform trials, complementing the UK's equal funding commitment. This partnership aims to streamline research funding and development, particularly in advanced stages of research.
