News release
5 December 2006
Christchurch researchers awarded additional $2.3M in health research funding
Two Christchurch health research teams have been awarded $2.3M in the Health Research Council of New Zealand’s (HRC)
2006 annual funding round.
The HRC has awarded an additional $2.8M for three new projects through its annual funding round for 2006. A total of
$32M has now been awarded to 40 projects in the funding round.
Dr Dee Mangin from the University of Otago’s Christchurch School of Medicine and Health Sciences (CSMHS) and her team
have been awarded $1.7M to help identify who and who will not benefit from long term treatment for depression.
Depression (unipolar depressive disorder) is one of the most important causes of disability and death worldwide.
Currently, there is little evidence from primary care to clarify if and for whom long term maintenance treatment
(antidepressant medication) is beneficial in preventing recurrence of depression.
In a randomised controlled trial involving primary care patients who are currently not experiencing depression,
continued treatment versus tapered withdrawal of antidepressants will be tested. The study will further understanding of
optimal long term treatment of depression in primary care.
Dr Lisa Stamp and her team, also from CSMHS, will be focusing on improving treatments for rheumatoid arthritis, a common
musculoskeletal disease.
The grant worth $0.6M will be used to test a widely used drug called methotrexate. The study will look at how the
concentration of the drug in the patient’s blood determines how well they respond to treatment, and whether the
patient’s genetic makeup influences this. Different methods of administering the drug will also be tested.
The project could lead to more specific and improved approaches to treating rheumatoid arthritis, in turn resulting in
better and safer treatments for this debilitating illness.
“The HRC is delighted to be able to fund the three additional contracts for the 2006 contestable funding round,” says
HRC Chief Executive Dr Bruce Scoggins.
“Originally on the reserve list, the three projects were able to be funded once the other approved contracts had been
finalised.”
ENDS