CLINICAL trials are not boring, they are lifesaving, cutting edge and they, and “not Barnaby Joyce”, belong on the front page, a fundraiser for medical research and attended by hundreds of people at Camden Lakeside Country Club heard.

MC Natalie Barr, from Channel 7’s Sunrise, made the comment to the applause of the audience at the Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research’s fifth annual International Women’s Day lunch on Friday.
“The best cutting edge treatments are right at our doorstep,’’ Ms Barr said.

The fundraiser, which was also attended by Camden State Liberal MP Chris Patterson, Wollondilly Mayor Judy Hannan, guest and comedian Jean Kitson and community and business leaders, raised $93,000 to bring the overall tally to $306,000 in five years for medical research.

The theme of this year’s lunch was clinical trials and Ingham researcher Assoc Prof Kieran Scott spoke about his world-first trial, which is underway. As reported in the Macarthur Chronicle, Assoc Prof Scott’s trial of the C2 compound could lead to prostate cancer being treated with a pill in the future.

The first patient received a dose of the compound two weeks ago as part of the trial and is doing well.

“This compound can make tumors shrink and in some cases go away. That’s astounding to me,’’ Assoc Prof Scott said. The prostate cancer clinical trial follows Assoc Prof Scott’s 15 years of research into the disease and his motivation is to help others because both his father Kevin and uncle Paul died of the cancer.

The lunch also celebrates women in science and Ingham Institute Prof Meera Agar spoke about the importance of clinical trials.

Published in the Macarthur Chronicle, March 6, 2018 by Luisa Cogno