The Clinical Trials Action Group (CTAG) was established to identify and progress necessary reforms to secure Australia’s competitiveness in the clinical trials sector. This was partly in response to issues raised in the
Pharmaceuticals Industry Strategy Group (PISG) Final Report, which was released on 30 January 2009. The CTAG was established as a subgroup of the
Pharmaceuticals Industry Working Group (PIWG).
The CTAG sought advice from a wide range of key clinical trials stakeholders from Australian, state and territory governments, hospitals, clinicians, researchers and industry, who participated in five expert reference groups. The CTAG also received
public submissions to inform their report.
CTAG Report Implementation
The CTAG report Clinically competitive: boosting the business of clinical trials in Australia [
PDF 543KB] [
RTF 267KB] was released on 3 March 2011. The report tasked the then Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research (the Department) with the following responsibilities:
- Recommendation F: together with the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), investigate the feasibility of creating a comprehensive and searchable national clinical trials web portal. The Department contracted the Australian E-Health Research Centre (AEHRC) to undertake this investigation, which is now completed;
- Recommendation H: to work with the Department of Health and Ageing, health consumer groups and other stakeholders to develop consumer information on the benefits of clinical trials. The Department contracted the Consumers Health Forum of Australia (CHF) to develop a consumer factsheet on clinical trials titled "Consumer Guide to Clinical Trials", to assist in raising the general community and consumers' understanding and awareness of clinical trials; and
- Recommendation J: to collate available material about the value and performance of clinical trials. The Department assisted Medicines Australia to conduct a "Survey of Privately Funded Clinical Research in Australia" which was released in February 2012.
CTAG Coordination Group and Report Implementation
To assist in implementing the recommendations of the the Clinical Trials Action Group (CTAG) report, it was decided at the Pharmaceuticals Industry Working Group (PIWG) meeting of 2 May 2011, that a CTAG Coordination Group (the Group) be formed. This group comprises relevant state and federal government agencies as well as industry stakeholders, consumer representatives and researchers. The Group met for the first time on 21 June 2011 and meets every four to five weeks. The Group's meeting summaries are provided below:
Enquiries
For enquiries contact:
Manager, Biomedical Industry & Strategy Section
Pharmaceuticals, Health Industries and Enabling Technologies Branch
Department of Industry, Innovation, Science, Research & Tertiary Education
GPO Box 9839
Canberra ACT 2601
Contact: Margaret Corcoran 02 6213 6381
Email: pharmaceutical@innovation.gov.au