WTF: Treating neurodevelopmental diseases differently – why NTI164 offers new hope
In this interview, Professor Michael Fahey, a leading Paediatric Neurologist and Clinical Geneticist at Monash Medical Centre, joins host Tylah Tully to answer all these questions and more, delving into his experience with Neurotech's (ASX:NTI) NTI164 drug in treating ASD and Rett syndrome.
As the first clinician to prescribe NTI164 during its clinical program, Professor Fahey shares powerful patient outcomes and his hope for a treatment that "enables people to be their best" without the side effects of conventional therapies.
He explains how NTI164 is showing early promise, with families reporting transformative changes.
"People were more alert, more able to participate... Families would tell us that they went out to dinner as a family for the first time," he said.
Professor Fahey believe the early clinical success really underscores the real-world impact of the drug could have, beyond clinical metrics.
Watch the video to learn more about the NTI164 drug candidate and Professor Fahey's key takeaways from the clinical program.
This video was developed in collaboration with Neurotech, a Stockhead advertiser at the time of publishing.
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ABC News
11 minutes ago
- ABC News
North Queensland grazier warns of blackleg disease after cattle die
North Queensland grazier Peter Finlay did routine checks on his weaner cattle, but two days later, nearly 40 were dead. "I was pretty gutted because I hate to lose one, but when you lose a whole mob like that," Mr Finlay said. Carcass testing found blackleg, a bacterial disease contracted from soil, to be the cause of death. Mr Finlay, from Torrens Creek, about 300 kilometres south-west of Townsville, was shocked by the findings. Blackleg is a spore-forming bacteria that primarily affects younger cattle. It is almost always fatal within 48 hours of the onset of symptoms. Cases have previously been reported in central and southern Queensland and New South Wales, but rarely in north Queensland. "I've been in this industry for 40-odd years, and we've never thought to have had the problem," Mr Finlay said. Hughenden veterinarian Libby Harriman said it was the first confirmed case for her client base in the Torrens Creek area. "Traditionally, we don't see a lot of blackleg in this area," Dr Harriman said. "But, we have heard of other cases towards Julia Creek, so anywhere along those lines is obviously in that 'at-risk area' now." She said outbreaks of the soil-borne bacteria often occurred after soil disturbances and rain. The north-west has had a favourable wet season, with monsoonal February rain saving what had been a dry 2024. When livestock eat contaminated feed or soil, spores enter the bloodstream, which leads to blood poisoning and rapid death. "But [cattle] can actually carry it in their system for a long time, until it's triggered by bruising or other muscle damage," Dr Harriman said. A Department of Primary Industries spokesperson said blackleg was an endemic disease in Queensland and was not a notifiable disease under the Biosecurity Act 2014, meaning producers were under no obligation to report it. They said veterinarians often diagnosed blackleg without departmental involvement, so department-recorded cases may not accurately reflect the incidence of disease in the field. "Current departmental diagnostic data does not show an increase in blackleg diagnoses compared to previous years," the spokesperson said. Dr Harriman said blackleg cases were not always reported. "Producers tend to be a little bit cautious about finding an infectious disease on their property for fear of being shut down by Biosecurity Queensland or something like that," she said. "It's just so important that producers do speak up about these sorts of things and contact your local vet." Symptoms of the disease include lameness in the hind legs, swelling in large muscles, fever, depression and refusal to eat. A distinctive symptom is also gas under the skin, which produces a crackling sound when the affected area is touched. The potentially fatal condition can be prevented with a vaccination, which Dr Harriman encouraged for all cattle, not just those in areas with known cases, as the disease often impacted large numbers at a time. While blackleg is not contagious from animal to animal, bacteria from a carcass can spread into the soil, which can then be contracted again. Dr Harriman recommended burning the affected carcass and not dragging it along the ground. Mr Finlay said his remaining 306 cattle looked healthy and had since been vaccinated. As he counted the cost of his loss, he encouraged other graziers to follow suit. "The alternative is just terrible," he said.
ABC News
41 minutes ago
- ABC News
Fatal drug overdoses reach 10-year high in Victoria, with people aged between 35 and 54 most at risk
More Victorians died of drug overdoses in 2024 compared to any other year in the past decade, a new report shows. According to latest data from the Coroners Court of Victoria, the state recorded 584 fatal overdoses last year, up from 547 the year prior, with illegal drugs remaining the biggest contributor. While Victoria's annual per capita fatal overdose rate remained more or less stable at around 8.1 deaths per 100,000 people between 2015 and 2024, the report noted a significant increase in the involvement of illicit drugs over the same period. Classed under that category are substances such as heroin, methamphetamine, MDMA, cocaine and GHB. Those drugs peaked in use last year in both metropolitan Melbourne and regional Victoria, contributing to 65 per cent of the total overdose deaths across the state. That represents a 16 per cent increase from 2015, when illegal drugs contributed to 49 per cent of the state's total overdose deaths. "The concerning rise in overdose deaths and especially those involving illegal drugs is a stark reminder that we need to keep building on our harm reduction efforts," Victorian state coroner John Cain said. Tuesday's data breaks down Victorian overdose deaths by three main categories — illegal, pharmaceutical, and alcohol. The report found that pharmaceutical drug use — although over-represented in the overall overdose deaths last year at 69 per cent — has gradually declined over the decade. Meanwhile, the contribution of alcohol in 2024 was consistent with previous years at a rate of 24 per cent. In the past decade, 5,268 people have died from drug overdoses in Victoria and most of those deaths were from combined drug toxicity. Last year, the five top contributing drugs to fatal overdoses were heroin (248), diazepam (219), methamphetamine (215), alcohol (141) and pregabalin (92). Heroin and methamphetamine-related deaths were the highest in the metropolitan local government areas of Yarra and Melbourne city respectively. In regional Victoria, where about a quarter of total fatal overdoses occurred, Greater Geelong recorded a substantially higher number of deaths in 2024 than in previous years at 35, all but one of which were a result of heroin and meth use. Head of policy and practice at the Victorian Alcohol and Drug Association (VAADA), Scott Drummond, said the figures called for increased treatment resources and prevention initiatives in the illicit drug space. "These deaths are the result of a continuing low level of action or almost inaction in response to drug use in the community," he said. "One of the things that was really problematic was the intense debate around the overdose prevention facility, otherwise known as the safe injecting room. However, 95 people aged 55 to 64 also died from an overdose in 2024, compared to 87 the year prior, with numbers fluctuating across the decade. Victoria first introduced a Medically Supervised Injecting Service (MSIR) trial in North Richmond in 2018. But last year the Allan government turned down recommendations for a second such facility to be set up in the Melbourne CBD. despite data at the time pointing to the City of Melbourne as the deadliest council area for drug deaths. It instead committed to a $95 million Statewide Action Plan. That included a new $36.4 community health service, trial of hydromorphone, more naloxone vending machines, expansion of pharmacotherapy — which involves specialist drugs like methadone and counselling — and the appointment of a chief addiction advisor in the Victorian Department of Health. Naloxone is a medicine that rapidly reverses an opioid overdose and comes in the form of a nasal spray, as well as an injection. Under the Take Home Naloxone program launched in 2022, the drug was federally subsidised. But determining which pharmacies or community services can distribute it and how much they are supplied with is up to each state and territory. As part of its health plan the Victorian government also started a mobile pill testing service at music festivals last year. This month it is due to open a fixed site service in Fitzroy. Mr Drummond said those initiatives were welcome but also required a well-funded implementation strategy. "The drug checking service is a great start, but we need to continue to introduce more initiatives, such as increasing the availability of Naloxone, a drug which is easy to administer and reverses opioid overdoses," he said. "We need more overdose prevention facilities, such as the supervised injecting rooms, where the harms are occurring — that's place-based intervention. "We need more resourcing for peer-support services, where folks of lived and living experience of drug and alcohol use can support those that are in the midst of drug and alcohol use. Their support and wisdom is really helpful and really effective. "We need more specialist services responding to misuse of benzodiazepines (a pharmaceutical depressant drug)." Similar measures have also been called for nationally. A five-point prevention strategy recommended last year by The Penington Institute. It has compiled Australia's annual overdose report for 10 years, including drug education, increasing Naloxone access, medication-assisted treatment, drug checking, and supervised consumption. That was based off data showing 2,356 drug-induced deaths across Australia in 2022, 80 per cent of which were unintentional. Victoria's fatal overdose rate was the second-highest in the country after Western Australia.
ABC News
41 minutes ago
- ABC News
Dugongs studied in Moreton Bay may help save the vulnerable species worldwide
Janet Lanyon leaps off a red zodiac into the waters of Moreton Bay and swims towards a group of splashing figures in front of her. Moments before, four fit people in rugby helmets launched into the water off the moving boat in pursuit of a dark shadow as it came up for air. Between them is half a tonne of grey muscle — a big male dugong ( Dugong dugon ). The team monitor the dugong's breathing in the water. ( ABC TV: Dr Ann's Secret Lives ) The team monitors the dugong's breathing in the water. (ABC TV: Dr Ann's Secret Lives) Researchers hold dugong up to measure it. ( ABC TV: Dr Ann's Secret Lives ) The dugong is held up while researchers measure it. (ABC TV: Dr Ann's Secret Lives) Wetsuit-clad researchers wrap a tape measure around the bull's belly, then stretch it the length of his body to give an accurate reading of the animal's size in the water, while the "catching team" prevents the animal from diving. "Breath … breath … breath …" the team calls out each time the bull opens his massive nostrils. Once they have his measurements, the team slides his hefty body onto a sling and transfers him to a larger boat for a full health check. As the dugong is manoeuvred onto the boat the team pours water over its head to mimic the sensation of surfacing for a breath. ( ABC TV: Dr Ann's Secret Lives ) Dr Lanyon oversees the action, keeping track of what data is being collected and making sure her team and the dugong are safe. The marine biologist from the University of Queensland knows dugongs very well. She's been running the world's largest dugong health assessment program at Moreton Bay since it started 16 years ago. Janet Lanyon has studied dugongs for more than three decades. ( ABC TV: Dr Ann's Secret Lives ) Although the pursuit and capture looks dramatic, she says monitoring shows the dugongs calm down quickly. "They are pretty relaxed animals really," Dr Lanyon says. And what we learn from these dugongs is critical for helping conserve the enigmatic marine mammal elsewhere in Australia and other places around the world where numbers are falling. Quandamooka Country Moreton Bay is the perfect place to study dugongs. About 800—1,000 dugongs live in the turquoise waters that lie off the Queensland coast near Meanjin/Brisbane. The large mammals spend up to 20 hours a day digging and hoovering up seagrass, consuming roots, rhizomes and leaves. On average, an adult dugong eats 65kg of grass a day — more when they are reproducing. They are also picky eaters, preferring to eat a specific species of seagrass. Their messy feeding leaves trails, like snails in a rock pool, making them relatively easy to find in the 3,500-square-kilometre bay. And it's safer than some of the other potential study sites in Australia. "Up north, you've got crocodiles," Dr Lanyon says. These dugongs are deeply significant to the Quandamooka people, one of the traditional owner groups of Moreton Bay. "Caring for the dugongs is the same as caring for our Country," says Justin Ladbrooke-Parkin, who is the ranger in charge for the Quandamooka Marine Rangers, but speaking from his own experience. "[Dr Lanyon's] research provides that scientific knowledge … but also, it aligns with the cultural knowledge of the Quandamooka, which has been passed down through our generations." Race on deck Once the dugong is on board the boat, a new race is on. To minimise stress to the animal, the researchers extract as much biological information from it as they can within 30 minutes, before it is released. They collect blood, urine, saliva, mucous-laden tears and faecal samples, as well as swabs of skin bacteria that could be used as a "health biomarker". If it was a female, it would also have an ultrasound to detect pregnancies. Data from the samples also reveal aspects of their secret lives. By measuring stress hormone's the team have been able to ascertain that the dugongs recover quickly from their time on board. ( ABC TV: Dr Ann's Secret Lives ) By measuring stress hormones, the team has found that dugongs recover quickly from their time on board. (ABC TV: Dr Ann's Secret Lives) The tears of a dugong are very sticky and provide a wealth of biological information. ( ABC TV: Dr Ann's Secret Lives ) The tears of a dugong are very sticky and provide a wealth of biological information. (ABC TV: Dr Ann's Secret Lives) Blood samples are taken from beneath the dugong's pectoral fin. ( ABC TV: Dr Ann's Secret Lives ) Blood samples are taken from beneath the dugong's pectoral fin. (ABC TV: Dr Ann's Secret Lives) The plastic plate used to collect a faecal sample is covered in alfoil so the plate does not contaminate the poo and the team can test for microplastic. ( ABC: Catalyst ) The plastic plate used to collect a faecal sample is covered in foil so the plate does not contaminate the poo and the team can test for microplastic. (ABC TV: Dr Ann's Secret Lives) Adult males start to look a bit rough around the edges towards late winter and early spring when there is less good-quality seagrass in the bay. They also often have marks from fighting each other. "That time coincides with the mating season so it's a time when the adult males are just thinking about finding females," Dr Lanyon says. Sampling shows their testosterone and stress hormones increase during mating season. As a result, it's not uncommon for a few dead males to wash up at this time of year, but Dr Lanyon has been able to use this research to calm public fear of mass mortality events. Seagrass precious for picky eaters Moreton Bay's dugongs are the most studied in the world. "We've now tagged probably 750, or more, different animals in the bay," Dr Lanyon says. One of the major findings of the research is that this population rarely strays from the bay. If an occasional animal swims north, they are unlikely to breed with other dugongs. But their homebody nature, massive appetites and picky eating puts them at risk. Their growth rate, reproductive rates, how healthy they are, their whole life history is determined by their food. Dugongs use fine hairs on their nose to detect seagrass and dig it up. ( Getty Images: Andrea Izzotti ) The underwater meadows they rely on are susceptible to dieback, a disease that is on the rise due primarily to increased extreme weather events. "We're concerned because a lot of the species that are good food for dugongs and that dugongs like to feed on are becoming rarer [in Moreton Bay]," Dr Lanyon says. This ties in with traditional knowledge. "We've always known that there's these special areas for the dugongs and their feeding grounds," Mr Ladbrooke-Parkin says. "And this research obviously just supports that these areas should be protected." Life near a big city Swimming near Australia's third-largest city comes with specific risks for dugongs. Human medicine is flushed into the bay, and urban grime washes down the drains. "We looked at a panel of 18 different common antibiotics and we found that every dugong that we looked at was resistant to quite a few of the antibiotics," Dr Lanyon says. Her team has also found heavy metals, pesticides, microplastics and herbicides in the tissue and circulating blood of Moreton Bay dugongs. Extreme weather can compound these urban risks. "We know that with every flood event or cyclone there's direct damage to seagrass beds," Dr Lanyon says. Even if there is enough seagrass to eat, dugongs are still affected. They show increased levels of heavy metals, pathogens and microplastics after floods, and "there is a drop in body condition compared to that time in other years", Dr Lanyon says. But, she adds, this population may be faring better than those further north. They're exposed to agricultural runoff, which could severely affect the dugongs. In these northern populations, researchers have not been able to observe calves in the year after major cyclones and floods, suggesting none were born or survived early life. Dugong mothers need plenty of high-quality seagrass to fuel their pregnancies and to nurse their calves. ( Supplied: Janet Lanyon ) It is unclear whether this also happens in Morton Bay. There are also other looming threats such as the H5N1 strain of bird flu, which has affected many other species of mammals around the world. H5N1 hasn't yet arrived in Australia, but Dr Lanyon is monitoring dugongs for any signs of the disease. "We want to detect an emerging problem, not wait until there's a mass mortality event," she says. International insights Onboard the floating vet clinic, Chiaki Yamato is busy measuring the width of the bull's head. This is her second year studying Moreton Bay's dugongs. While the Moreton Bay population appears to be stable, other populations in waters around Asia and Africa are declining. Before joining the University of Queensland team, Dr Yamato studied dugongs in ThailaND. "In Thailand, if we could see one dugong in three boating days, I was very happy … but here, on the first day I went on the sea we were having lunch surrounded by a herd of dugongs," Dr Yamato says. By taking precise measurements on the boat and comparing those measurements to drone footage Dr Yamato can better estimate size from the air. ( ABC TV: Dr Ann's Secret Lives ) By taking precise measurements on the boat and comparing those measurements to drone footage, Dr Yamato can better estimate size from the air. (ABC TV: Dr Ann's Secret Lives) Dugong researcher Dr Chiaki Yamato. ( Supplied: Dr Chiaki Yamato ) Dr Yamato hopes the measurements she takes in Moreton Bay can be used to help develop non-invasive ways of studying the animals elsewhere. (Supplied: Chiaki Yamato) When dugongs come up for breath their body is often bent making them hard to measure. ( Supplied: Dr Chiaki Yamato ) When dugongs come up for breath, their body is often bent, making them hard to measure. (Supplied: Chiaki Yamato) It is too risky to catch and study unhealthy members of declining populations, so Dr Yamato is trying to develop a way to measure the animals using drones. Drones can be an affordable and low-impact way to study species for researchers who are licensed to use them, making her data invaluable for use on vulnerable populations. She'll use the information gathered from measuring the Moreton Bay dugongs in the water and on the boat to help refine measurements taken by drones. Swabbed, sampled and measured, the healthy male is ready for release, but for Dr Yamato, it is not yet goodbye. As the dugong swims free, her drone buzzes in its wake.
