Medical researcher up for award
University of Otago Hazel Buckland chair in psychological medicine Prof Paul Glue is up for the BNZ Researcher Entrepreneur Award for his pioneering research.
The awards honour those who bridge the gap between research and business, transforming scientific discoveries into real-world solutions that create lasting benefit for New Zealanders.
"I'm absolutely blown away by this," Prof Glue said.
"Since this project started, it's taken on a whole new life of its own."
For nearly a decade, he has been working on the medication, which is now about to undergo Food and Drug Administration approval, with the aim of getting it on the market within the next three years.
He said the new medication was working well for patients and almost everyone who took it during trials decided they wanted to stay on it.
While he was delighted to be named a finalist in the awards, Prof Glue said the biggest reward was that it was changing people's lives.
"The contrast between what their pattern of illness was like before, versus being on this drug and basically being well, has been striking — life-changing for them."
Most people who have treatment-resistant depression are destined to be stuck at home, unable to work, continually dealing with relationship problems — a place far from a normal life, he said.
"The stats show that about one in five women, and one in 10 men in New Zealand will have an episode of depression, and about a third of the patients won't respond to conventional treatments.
"They're functionally impaired. It's a big population, and at the moment, we as a health system do not have an effective line of treatment for this big population."
Doctors usually used the anaesthetic drug as an effective means of sedation and pain relief, but ketamine was also given to patients with treatment-resistant depression, via injection or nasal spray.
Unfortunately, it had major side effects in this form, he said.
"It can make patients feel very spaced out, very sleepy. They can't walk for about half an hour.
"That's why you have to have it in a clinic.
"It's quite a burden on resources for patients and the health system."
However, Prof Glue's slow-release ketamine tablets were absorbed by the body over about 10 hours and had few side effects.
Because of that, it reduced the risk of abuse by drug users.
It meant the tablets could be picked up from a pharmacy on prescription, potentially making treatment a much cheaper and more convenient option, compared with weekly clinic visits for ketamine injections or nasal sprays, he said.
KiwiNet chief executive Dr James Hutchinson said the finalists represented the "cutting edge of innovation", turning world-class science into high-value, high-growth ventures with real impact for New Zealand.
"From pioneering medical treatments to clean tech, sustainable food production and space innovation, they show how science can tackle real-world challenges — growing our economy, boosting productivity, and doing good in our communities."
The winners of the KiwiNet Awards will be announced at a ceremony in Auckland on October 22.
john.lewis@odt.co.nz
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NZ Herald
33 minutes ago
- NZ Herald
Advocates urge New Zealand to adopt new endometriosis treatment guidelines
The current 2020 Ministry of Health document was no longer fit for purpose and needed to be urgently replaced with the new Australian Living Evidence Guideline, he said. 'Our current guideline is now outdated, and out of step with modern diagnostic and treatment practices. 'By contrast, RANZCOG's new guideline reflects the latest evidence and provides clear recommendations for early diagnosis, as well as first-line hormonal treatment to be run in parallel with diagnostic investigations. These are crucial to reducing the delays in diagnosis and treatment that too many patients still experience.' Endometriosis New Zealand chief executive Tanya Cooke said adopting the new guideline would bring New Zealand into line with global best practice, and ensure patients received faster, less invasive and more equitable care. 'We have written to the ministry and [Health New Zealand] Te Whatu Ora, urging them to adopt the new guideline as soon as possible,' she said. 'It's also really important that they work with RANZCOG and others to support application of it across the sector, and for the benefit of the 120,000 New Zealanders living with endometriosis.' Officials respond The Health Ministry said in a statement it was 'grateful for the important work that RANZCOG has undertaken in developing these guidelines to support clinical care in this important aspect of women's health'. 'These guidelines represent a valuable resource, informing clinicians of evidence regarding diagnosis, management and care of people living with endometriosis. 'Health New Zealand has established processes, through clinical networks and health pathways, to consider clinical guidelines and how they might influence on clinical service delivery to achieve better outcomes for New Zealanders.' Health NZ national chief medical officer Professor Dame Helen Stokes-Lampard said clinical guidelines and health pathways were reviewed regularly. 'Our immediate focus is on urgent patients and those who have been waiting the longest for treatment,' she said. 'We continue to work hard to put in place systems and processes, so improvements to waiting times are made.' – RNZ
Scoop
2 hours ago
- Scoop
Mayor's Message To Health Minister: Don't Go Down The Private Route
Whakatāne Mayor Victor Luca has pleaded with the Health Minister to not allow the privatisation and Americanisation of New Zealand's healthcare system. Dr Luca, a research scientist and president of Whakatāne Grey Power, was granted a half hour to make his case to Health Minister Simeon Brown in Auckland on Thursday. He was joined in his meeting by fellow Whakatāne Grey Power members, Raewyn Kingsley-Smith, Suzanne Williams, Vern Scheffer and Catrina Jones. Dr Luca has been seeking the meeting since April. 'I was blown over because I wasn't expecting a response,' Dr Luca said. Before the meeting, he told Local Democracy Reporting he would be asking Mr Brown not to take the route toward privatisation. 'We do not want a health system that in any way resembles what goes on in the United States, where the health service is dominated by private businesses,' Dr Luca said. He said there was a widening gap between health services for the 35 percent of New Zealanders who could afford health insurance and the 65 percent who couldn't. 'We are definitely headed towards a two-tiered system like they have in the United States. Mr Brown said his priority was ensuring all NewZealanders had access to timely, quality healthcare. "New Zealanders don't care who does their operation – they just want it done, and done quickly," he said. He said he greatly valued the opportunity to meet with local mayors and to discuss the health issues that mattered most in their communities. Advertisement - scroll to continue reading Dr Luca asked Mr Brown for 'definitive proof" that privatisation would improve economic outcomes and benefit patient outcomes. He said he had put the same question to the Ministry of Health several years ago, which said it was not privatising the health system. Since then, he said his research showed New Zealand was headed down a track toward privatisation. 'I've got the proof that they are,' Dr Luca said. In 2023, he made requests under the Official Information Act to all District Health Boards asking for a breakdown of full-time equivalent staff numbers in the public and private sectors. The data he received, which dated back to only 2020, showed a 30 percent increase in privatisation in some fields over the three years. The specialties that had the highest levels of privatisation were sports medicine, general practice, muscoloskeletal medicine and urgent care. After Thursday's meeting, Dr Luca said Mr Brown had not denied privatisation but was not able to provide the proof he sought that privatisation had economic or patient outcome benefits. He said they emphasised the equity issue. 'We can only hope our little gambit has made him think a bit more about the equity issue and the plight of all those people who don't have insurance.' The Whakatāne deputation also addressed the issue of operation waiting lists with the minister. Dr Luca recounted his experience of having to wait over a month for an appointment to see his GP. Grey Power's Ms Kingsley Smith told the minister about struggling for five years with hip pain before receiving a referral to a specialist, her year-long wait to see one, and her current wait, possibly for another year, to receive a hip replacement surgery. 'It is devastating to be placed on a waiting list to see a specialist or surgeon and be laughed at when you ask for your appointment date,' she said. ''Ha ha, it won't be inside a year',' she was told. After seeking help for a sore hip that had deteriorated since an injury 11 years ago, she said the latest X-ray CT results clearly showed there was no ball left on the right hip joint. 'My only hope is surgery and it's urgent. If it can't be done in time for me to make a good recovery, I think I will have to sell up and go into care.' Mr Brown said the Government's Elective Boost programme meant thousands more New Zealanders were getting the procedures they needed sooner. "Making full use of both public and private capacity is critical to reducing waitlists," he said. Whakatāne Grey Power has been pushing the issue of health care for the past five years. In 2022, the group put a remit together to the New Zealand Federation of Grey Power to put pressure on the Government on better health services. Dr Luca has used his mayoral office to address the issue as well, holding an online Community Health Forum with national health experts in Whakatāne District Council chambers in Feburary. He initiated the setting up a health equity advocacy committee within the council with input from local health providers. Dr Luca also wrote to the minister on behalf of the council to express the community's concern at the removal of the secondary maternity services at Whakatāne Hospital. At yesterday's meeting, he thanked Mr Brown for his support in that matter and for financing more doctor training. 'I think in terms of workforce, they are trying to get more doctors through the pipeline but you're not going to be seeing them for another 10 or 12 years.'
Scoop
19 hours ago
- Scoop
More Cancer Patients In Taupō Getting Treatment Closer To Home
Hon Simeon Brown Minister of Health More cancer patients in the Taupō region can now receive treatment closer to home, following an expansion of chemotherapy services at Taupō Hospital, Health Minister Simeon Brown says. 'For the first time in over 20 years, Taupō Hospital's chemotherapy clinic has doubled its operating days and now runs two days a week,' Mr Brown says. 'This expansion reflects growing demand, driven by the Government's $604 million investment in Pharmac to fund new cancer medicines and treatments.' That investment is delivering broader access to cutting-edge medicines like Keytruda, an immunotherapy drug now publicly funded not just for melanoma, but for other cancers such as bowel and bladder. 'More people in Taupō can now access the life-saving medicines they need, and that's driving increased demand for treatment locally. 'In the first half of 2025, 439 treatments, including chemotherapy and immunotherapy, were delivered to Taupō-based patients, up 39 per cent from 315 in the same period last year. 'To meet this demand, specialist nurses travel from Rotorua to deliver chemotherapy in Taupō, saving patients the need to make the trip themselves. 'Some of these treatments take just as long to administer as the return drive to Rotorua. Bringing care closer to home doesn't just save time – it eases the burden on patients and their families. It means fewer people having to take time off work, organise childcare, or travel long distances just to access the treatment they need. 'This service also benefits patients living further afield, with those in places like Tūrangi able to halve their travel time by going to Taupō instead of Rotorua.' The long-term plan is to expand chemotherapy services at Taupō Hospital to five days a week as demand continues to grow. 'Delivering faster access to cancer treatment is a key focus for the Government, which is why it's one of our five national health targets. 'This is what smart, patient-focused care looks like. We're building a health system that delivers for all New Zealanders and making sure people can get the cancer treatment they need, when and where they need it,' Mr Brown says.
