UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE

The trial aims to determine if IV ketamine reduces CPSP at 3 months post-surgery compared to placebo, with secondary objectives including acute pain severity, side effects, and quality of recovery. The trial protocol follows SPIRIT guidelines, using a distance model for follow-up, and includes measures of CPSP severity and patient wellbeing at 3 and 12 months. The primary endpoint was changed to 3 months post-surgery due to ICD-11 implementation, with 12 months becoming a secondary endpoint. The trial is multicenter, conducted in Australia, New Zealand, and Hong Kong, with a planned sample size of 4884 patients to detect a 15% reduction in CPSP incidence by ketamine.

PolyActiva's PA5108 glaucoma treatment implant showed significant IOP reduction in phase 2 trial, addressing patient adherence issues with traditional eye drops. The biodegradable implant delivers latanoprost for 26 weeks, with no residue left after degradation. Encouraging safety and efficacy results suggest potential for long-term glaucoma treatment and other ocular diseases. PolyActiva plans phase 2b and 3 trials, aiming for market release by 2029.

CytoDyn appoints Richard Pestell, M.D., Ph.D., as Lead Consultant in Oncology to advance leronlimab's clinical development in cancer treatment.

Qualitative study identifies barriers to population genomic screening for breast/prostate cancer risk using the COM-B model, highlighting varied needs for implementation strategies to support uptake and risk-management options.

Australian research team wins 2024 Gordon Bell Prize for developing quantum-accurate simulation software for drug performance modeling, using the Frontier supercomputer to predict molecular behavior with unprecedented precision.

Thao Vu's journey from Vietnam to Australia, nurtured by educators, led her to become an educational leader at Monash University, driven by her belief in people's potential. Huong Nguyen, also from Vietnam, pursued a career in drug discovery research at Monash, supported by mentors and scholarships.

Infigratinib, an oral FGFR1-3 inhibitor, showed safety and efficacy in a phase II study among children with achondroplasia, with increased annualized height velocity and sustained height z score improvements.

Pamela Galli AO's $20 million donation to the University of Melbourne will advance research in neurodevelopmental disorders, skin cancer prevention, and treatments, fostering collaboration and supporting cutting-edge projects. This gift builds on the Pamela and Lorenzo Galli Medical Research Trust established in 2017, continuing to fund research teams across the Melbourne Biomedical Precinct and establish Chairs at partner institutes. The donation aims to enable transformative research and strengthen collaboration among world-class institutes.

New research on deferiprone, an iron-reducing drug, shows it accelerates cognitive decline in Alzheimer’s patients despite lowering brain iron levels.