Population-level Vaccine Safety Monitoring: Risk Assessment And Policy Implications
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$85,649.00
Summary
Vaccines prevent millions of deaths worldwide but events can occur after vaccination which may or may not be related to the vaccine. It is vital to ensure vaccines are safe and that both the public and medical providers remain confident in vaccination programs. The PhD thesis will look at the various methods for monitoring vaccine safety in Australia, and compare the usefulness of each system. This will provide information for policy makers on the safety of vaccines in Australia.
Pharmacogenomics And Mechanistic Basis Of Drug Hypersensitivity
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$677,220.00
Summary
Drug allergy causes physical harm, anxiety and may limit treatment options. We introduced personalised genetic testing to prevent one such drug hypersensitivity. Genetic information from patients who have had adverse drug reactions will be used to work out how drugs trigger severe allergic reactions and develop strategies to predict these reactions and design safer drugs. This research has relevance to our understanding of other inflammatory disease such as autoimmune disease and multiple sclero ....Drug allergy causes physical harm, anxiety and may limit treatment options. We introduced personalised genetic testing to prevent one such drug hypersensitivity. Genetic information from patients who have had adverse drug reactions will be used to work out how drugs trigger severe allergic reactions and develop strategies to predict these reactions and design safer drugs. This research has relevance to our understanding of other inflammatory disease such as autoimmune disease and multiple sclerosis.Read moreRead less
Characterisation Of T-cell Responses In Drug Hypersensitivity
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$306,338.00
Summary
Drug hypersensitivity reactions (DIHS) are a catastrophic form of adverse drug reaction. This study will use the drug abacavir, a cause of drug hypersensitivity to examine the way certain immune cells react and determine whether responses to viruses that are persistent in our bodies play a role these development of these reactions. This will help inform the immunological basis of DIHS as well as new treatments and potential ways of identifying drugs likely to cause these reactions in the pre-mar ....Drug hypersensitivity reactions (DIHS) are a catastrophic form of adverse drug reaction. This study will use the drug abacavir, a cause of drug hypersensitivity to examine the way certain immune cells react and determine whether responses to viruses that are persistent in our bodies play a role these development of these reactions. This will help inform the immunological basis of DIHS as well as new treatments and potential ways of identifying drugs likely to cause these reactions in the pre-marketing phase of drug development.Read moreRead less
Genomics Of Antiepileptic Drug-induced Stevens Johnson Syndrome
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$500,817.00
Summary
Epilepsy affects 3% of people. Severe skin reactions to anti-epileptic drugs are unpredictable and potentially fatal. This project aims to better understand the complex genetic architecture of these reactions using the latest sequencing platforms applied to a unique collection of samples, followed by functional analysis. The findings will enhance the practice of precision medicine in epilepsy treatment, shed light on the mechanisms of these reactions, and inform better drug design in the future.
Deprescribing In Frail Older People: A Randomised Controlled Trial
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$269,235.00
Summary
Frail older people are often prescribed unnecessary medications. We will test whether stopping some of their medication improves longevity, sleep quality and independence and reduces confusion and falls. We will stop medication that does not provide any overall benefit or is thought to be harmful in older people. We will monitor our volunteers frequently for adverse effects and re-start their medicines if necessary. We hope to show that it is safe to stop many medications in frail older people.
Using Big Data To Improve Medication Use And Safety
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$851,980.00
Summary
More than 1 in 3 Australians report having 3 or more chronic conditions and the majority of older people now take 5 or more medicines. The safety of medicines on their own, and in combination is therefore an issue of significant importance to Australia. This research will develop and assess data methods to monitor the safety of medicines after they are released on the market and then provide and assess interventions for GPs to support improvements in medicine use.
Statistical Approaches For Studying The Safety And Effectiveness Of Medicines
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$307,946.00
Summary
When medicines first reach the market many of the potential adverse reactions are unknown. Clinical trials of medicines often exclude elderly patients and patients with multiple chronic diseases who are at higher risk of adverse drug reactions. This research aims to improve medicine safety by developing statistical methods to detect and validate medication safety signals and to identify patients who are at high risk of adverse reactions to medicines.
Transfusion Triggers In Cardiac Surgery Australia Trial (TRICS-III)
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,433,956.00
Summary
This study seeks to compare outcomes for cardiac surgery patients who are given a blood transfusion where the haemoglobin concentration is <7.5 or alternatively <9.5 g/dL. Blood transfusion is common in cardiac surgery and it is not known whether a more "restrictive" approach to blood transfusion has a different outcome. This will be the largest prospective randomised study of its kind, Australia contributing to a Canadian lead multi-centre international trial.