Currently Recruiting Clinical Trials

Barwon Health is currently conducting a clinical trial to examine the use of an investigational medication, or placebo medication, and its impact on weight management. The study drug is an oral capsule taken 1-3 times per day.

 You may be eligible to take part in this study if:

• You have a BMI of 30 or above, and less than 40
• You are aged between 18 and 65 years
• You are in generally good health
• Can commit to the trial study visits

For more information, please contact the Research Coordinator, Alicia Waight on 03 4215 2880 or CTUClinicalTrialsUnit@barwonhealth.org.au

This study has been approved by Monash Health HREC.

We are looking for people in Geelong aged 18 years or older with a diagnosis of major depressive disorder.  We are trialling adding a widely used and well tolerated blood pressure medication to your existing treatment which may help improve low mood and wellbeing.

• If you have been diagnosed with major depressive disorder,
• Currently experiencing low mood,
• Are 18 years or older,
• And if you are interested in participating in this clinical trial,

please contact us for more information.

Phone: 0402 196 595

Email: cadet-trial@deakin.edu.au

Website: http://deakinresear.ch/cadet-trial

Ethics review: Barwon Health HREC: 20/15, Deakin HREC: 2020-424, The Melbourne Clinic REC: 335, Eastern Health HREC: E20/024/69103, ANZCTR Registration: ACTRN12620001095954

We are looking for people in Geelong aged 18 years or older with a diagnosis of bipolar disorder.  We are trialling adding a widely used and well tolerated blood pressure medication to your existing treatment which may help improve low mood and wellbeing.

• If you have been diagnosed with bipolar disorder,
• Currently experiencing low mood,
• Are 18 years or older,
• And if you are interested in participating in this clinical trial,

please contact us for more information.

Phone: 0402 196 595

Email: cadet-trial@deakin.edu.au

Website: http://deakinresear.ch/cadet-trial

Ethics review: Barwon Health HREC: 19/166, Deakin HREC: 2020-425, The Melbourne Clinic REC: 334, Eastern Health HREC: E20/012/61681,  ANZCTR registration: ACTRN12620000703909

Suffering from Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome? This clinical trial might be for you!

The Aim

Researchers at IMPACT and La Trobe University are investigating if a potential new treatment is effective in treating Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS). This study will assess the effectiveness of the medication in a high-quality, clinical trial.

The Reason

In a recent stem cell-based treatment development program, the medication showed promising potential to address the key elements of ME/CFS by improving energy generation by reversing mitochondrial dysfunction – the likely pathway in ME/CFS.

The medication works to improve the efficiency of how the body creates energy. It reverses many of the abnormalities in energy generation that occur in the disorder.

Key Points for Participation

• There is no cost involved for participants in the trial
• People can continue on their usual treatments
• The trial will be held over 8 weeks and involve a total of 5 appointments
• Participants will be randomly allocated to receive either the active medication or placebo

If you would like to receive more information or enquire about participating, please contact us via:

Email: tri-me@deakin.edu.au

Website: Visit: https://redcap.link/TRI-ME_EOI

Phone: 0482 869 599

Ethics Review: Barwon Health HREC: 23/196

The Bugs & Bumps study is looking for women in Geelong aged over 18 years old in their second trimester.

Participants will be given access to an app-based dietary education program designed with dietitians to help improve their diet. The program will not ask you to follow a strict dietary regimen or meal plan.

Your involvement would help to assess any effects the program might have on prenatal wellbeing and child emotional and brain development over the first 18 months of life, as well as understanding whether gut bugs play any role in this.

Participants will be given 2 x $50 gift vouchers, and will be required to attend four in-person appointments.

To find out if you might be eligible, click here.

If you’d like more information, please get in touch on 03 5227 3097 or email bugs-and-bumps@deakin.edu.au

The Flash Study is a national randomised controlled clinical trial for Indigenous Australians with type 2 diabetes using Flash glucose monitors compared to standard care (finger-pricks).

The study will involve attending 6 visits over 6 months. To learn more about the study, please click here to watch a 3 minute video.

You may be eligible to take part in the study if you:

• are an Indigenous Australian
• have a confirmed diagnosis of type 2 diabetes
• are at least 18 years of age

To check your eligibility or see if this trial is right for you please call or email the study team on alicia.waight1@barwonhealth.org.au or 03 4215 2880.

Are you planning to have a laparoscopy (keyhole surgery) for pelvic pain? You may be eligible for our study!

What is involved? You will be asked to:

• Complete an online questionnaire before your surgery
• Attend a consultation with a physiotherapist before your surgery for an assessment of your pelvic floor muscles
• Complete follow up online questionnaires and physiotherapy visits at 3 months and 12 months after surgery.

You will be given a $20 retail voucher for your travel expenses to each physiotherapy visit. On your last visit, you will also be given the device used to assess your pelvic floor muscles, called a ‘Femfit’, to keep for your future use!

Interested?

If you would like to find out more or be involved, please click here or contact the study team directly at: Endo-Research@unimelb.edu.au

The ARC Trial is a clinical trial that will compare arthroscopic shoulder surgery where the rotator cuff tear is repaired, to the same surgery without repairing the rotator cuff. This research project is testing whether surgery to repair the tear is an effective treatment to improve shoulder pain and function and quality of life in people with rotator cuff tears.

You may be eligible to take part in the trial if you:

• Are aged between 45-75 years old
• Have been suffering from shoulder problems for the last six months
• Have been diagnosed as having a reparable rotator cuff tear, which was confirmed by an MRI imaging scan

To find out more, please contact Dr Stephen Gill, Senior Research Fellow, at stephen.gill@barwonhealth.org.au.

This study has ethical approval from UNSW Human Research Ethics Committee

Recruitment is starting soon for the RAPSODI-AUS study, which compares two common types of shoulder replacement: the Total Shoulder (Anatomic) replacement, and the Reverse Shoulder replacement. These are the two types of shoulder replacement that surgeons use very often for patients with osteoarthritis who need a shoulder replacement. They both help to reduce pain and maintain or improve movement, and the aim of this study is to explore which method works best.

You may be eligible to take part in the trial if you:

• Are aged 60 years and over
• Have been diagnosed as having shoulder osteoarthritis
• An intact rotator cuff (determined via pre-operative advanced imaging)

To find out more, please contact Dr Stephen Gill, Senior Research Fellow, at stephen.gill@barwonhealth.org.au.

This study has ethical approval from Metro North Health Human Research Ethics Committee

We are currently seeking participants for a study to investigate potential links between memory and thinking problems, low motivation and lack of energy, and physical health issues, such as high blood sugar, in individuals with early psychosis and schizophrenia-spectrum disorders

The study can be conducted remotely via Zoom, or in person at the Adrian Costa Clinical Trials Centre in Geelong. You will also be asked to attend a local Clinical Labs pathology centre to provide a blood sample.

If you decide to participate, you will be asked to:

• Answer questions about your mental health, social life, and school/work functioning.
• Complete tests that measure your memory and processing speed.
• Have your height, weight, and blood pressure measured.
• Have a blood sample collected

You will also be asked to attend a follow-up appointment one year later. You will be reimbursed $100 for your time at the baseline assessment and a further $100 at the 12-month follow up.

Inclusion criteria:

• Age 18+ years
• Experience symptoms related to psychosis, have experienced a first full psychotic episode in the last five years, or have a clinical diagnosis of a psychotic disorder such as schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, or related disorder.

If you are interested in participating, please email bionecs_study@deakin.edu.au. The team will send an information and consent form which will explain the study in detail.

We are also seeking referrals from clinicians who treat psychosis in Victoria.

Ethics approval by Barwon Health (Project Number: 21/154) and Deakin University (Reference: 2024-057).

To view the cancer trials currently underway at Barwon Health, visit the Victorian Cancer Trials Link website.

Searching this website is easy. All you have to do is type information about you, your cancer or cancer treatment to begin. Once you have begun the search, you can narrow your results by selecting criteria on the left hand side of the page.

Once you have found a trial that you think you can join, speak to your doctor or contact the Barwon Health Cancer Services Trials Unit for more information.

If you are interested in finding out more about participating in any of our current trials, please contact us at (03) 4215 1033 or cardiologyresearch@barwonhealth.org.au

 

Poseidon:

Ongoing chronic and systemic inflammation is an important contributor to the risk of recurrent cardiovascular events in patients with established diagnoses of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) and/or heart failure (HF). ASCVD and HF are highly comorbid conditions, which are also commonly co-morbid with chronic kidney disease (CKD).

In this research study we will be looking into

• how often people with cardiovascular disease have high levels of inflammation
• if there are common characteristics of patients with high levels of inflammation.

This study will also test the participants for possible risk of kidney or liver disease. This is to see if participants with these co-occurring diseases are more likely to have high levels of inflammation.

You may be eligible if:

• Are 18 + years of age
• Have been diagnosed with blockages in your arteries– legs, heart or neck. Or if you have been diagnosed with heart failure with or without kidney disease

 

ACCLAIM Study:

Lp(a) carries cholesterol (a type of fat) in the blood. Elevated levels of Lp(a) can put you at a higher risk of heart disease, stroke, or peripheral artery disease. This research project is testing a potential new treatment for its ability to lower the levels of Lp(a) and hence reduce the risk of major bad effects related to heart disease (for example, heart attack, stroke, or death).

You are potentially eligible to participate in the study if you fit the following criteria:

• 55 + years of age or older who are at risk for the first heart disease
• Blockages in your arteries– legs, heart or neck
• Family history of high cholesterol
• OR have a combination of risk factors such but not limited to : high cholesterol, smoker, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and/or kidney disease

 

HERMES Study:

This study will assess the efficacy and safety of ziltivekimab for the treatment of people living with heart failure and inflammation. The study also aims to better understand heart failure and related diseases and how to improve treatment for these conditions.

You may be eligible to take part if you:

• Are 18 + years of age
• Have been diagnosed with heart failure and reduced kidney function

 

EASY AS Study:

Your heart valve condition (aortic stenosis, or AS) is a common condition in which one of the four heart valves narrows over many years. When a valve becomes narrow, it can reduce the flow of blood through the heart and the body. Symptoms can include shortness of breath and chest pain; these can take years to develop and some patients never develop symptoms at all.

Patients who do have symptoms can have the valve replaced. This works really well, but as with any medical procedure, there is a chance of complications, and it can take a long time to recover. Some heart specialists believe that replacing the valve before symptoms develop may be better than the more conventional approach of performing the AVR once symptoms develop.

You may be eligible to take part if you:

• Are 18 + years of age
• Have a diagnosis of severe aortic stenosis but no symptoms

 

ARTEMIS Study:

People who experience a heart attack are, even with the best medicines and care, at risk of suffering from a new heart attack or stroke (blocked blood supply to the brain). This is due to a continuous build-up of fat in their blood vessels, so-called plaque, which is driven by a process known as ‘inflammation’.

After a heart attack, inflammation is often increased. Ziltivekimab is an antibody that is taken once a month by injection. Antibodies are proteins that target and neutralise unwanted objects in the body. Ziltivekimab targets inflammation; specifically, the inflammation that leads to the build-up of fat in the blood vessels. In that way, ziltivekimab can help the body to avoid more inflammation, which may reduce development of heart disease and stroke.

You may be eligible to take part if you:

• Are 18+ years of age
• Are admitted in hospital for a heart attack

 

TRIUMPH OUTCOMES Study: 

The primary purpose of this research project is to learn more about retatrutide (LY3437943) as a treatment for participants with a body mass index (BMI) exceeding 27 kg/m² and suffering from heart-related and/or kidney-related diseases.

The research project help answer the following research question(s):

• Whether retatrutide can work better than a placebo in
  • reducing the risk of major heart related events and
  • reducing the decline in kidney function.
• What are the possible side effects of retatrutide.

You may be eligible to take part if you:

• Are 18+ years of age
• Have a BMI of/more than 27 kg/m2
• Have kidney disease +/- cardiovascular disease

Do you currently suffer from Long COVID Symptoms such as fatigue, insomnia, cognitive issues (“brain fog”), depression and/ or anxiety?

 

A team of Deakin researchers invite you to take part in a project that is aiming to test the feasibility of a clinical trial protocol of enema-delivered faecal microbiome transplantation (FMT) in adults living with Long COVID.  This is a novel treatment option for those suffering from Long COVID.

 

What’s involved:

• Attend five study visits at the University Hospital Geelong.
• Receive three enemas of either the FMT OR a placebo product over three consecutive days/visits.
• Attend two follow up appointments.
• Provide blood, urine and stool samples.
• Complete online questionnaires– these can be completed at home on your own device.
• Wear a Garmin smart watch to measure your activity levels, sleep and heart rate.
• You are not required to stop your current medication or supplements.
• Participation in this research is free.
• You will be reimbursed to cover the cost of your parking

 

If you meet the following criteria, you may be eligible to participate:

• Adult aged 18 years or older
• Diagnosis of Long COVID by a medical doctor
• Experiencing symptoms that significantly impact on daily life
• Willing to wear a Garmin wrist health tracking device
• Willing to attend the study site for 5 in-person appointments
• Able to commit to the ongoing use of contraceptive, if sexually active and of childbearing potential during study period
• Access to a smart device capable of downloading apps

To find out more please follow the link:  https://foodandmoodcentre.com.au/projects/gut-therapy-to-improve-long-covid-outcomes-and-wellbeing-the-glow-trial/

Or contact the study team at: grace.mccartin@barwonhealth.org.au

 

This project is sponsored by Deakin University and has ethical approval by Monash Health RES-25-0000-040A