NZ research key to reducing spend on Spinal Cord Injuries

MEDIA RELEASE

27 July 2016

New Zealand research key to reducing $820m annual spend on Spinal Cord Injuries

Greater investment in New Zealand research has the potential to deliver massive future savings on the country’s $820m annual healthcare spend on spinal cord injuries (SCI) says CatWalk – the country’s foremost research funding trust for SCI.

“The human and social costs of a single spinal cord injury are devastating, but the financial costs to New Zealand’s health and care systems are also extremely high,” explains Catriona Williams, former international equestrian rider, a C6/C7 tetraplegic and founder of CatWalk Spinal Cord Injury Trust.

With one of the highest rates of SCI in the western world, there is a new life-changing SCI injury every three days in New Zealand. These predominantly impact young men who are at their peak productivity.

“Many of these everyday injuries result in permanent paralysis and carry an estimated lifetime health and care cost of $6.2m each.”

New Zealand’s world-class researchers and facilities are already contributing to a global and growing body of evidence that shows a cure for SCI will be found. However, there is currently no strategic investment programme for SCI research in New Zealand, which remains underfunded compared to other major health conditions.

“The scientific evidence is mounting every day – through further research, we can achieve a reduction in permanent paralysis to Kiwis in the future, and an improved quality of life and independence for those living with a SCI today.”

Ms Williams says funding enables speed, and the downstream benefits of SCI research go beyond the impacts on SCI patients and costs alone.

“There is so much to gain through greater funding of SCI research, not only for those confined to wheelchairs today and those yet to have an injury, but for sufferers of other neurological conditions and, more broadly, the New Zealand economy.”

There is significant cross-fertilisation of applications across neurological research, with research in SCI also contributing to solutions for other central nervous systems conditions like stroke, MS, dementia and so on.

A new campaign by CatWalk, fronted by ‘one in a million’ Kiwi personalities such as Richie McCaw, Sarah Walker, and Brad Smeele asks New Zealanders to contribute to immediate funding needs.

“Each and every Kiwi affected by a SCI is someone’s ‘one in a million’ parent, sibling, child, or friend. We want all New Zealanders to realise they are affected too, even if not directly, and to help make SCI paralysis a thing of the past.

“Every donation of $3 will make a tangible difference, and with a million or more Kiwis behind us we can fund significant projects that will continue to build on New Zealand and international research towards a cure.”

Text ‘WALK’ to 2448 to donate $3 to CatWalk. Your contribution will help fund world-class research to find a cure for SCI.

ENDS

About CatWalk
The CatWalk Spinal Cord Injury Trust raises funds to support the body of scientific opinion which says a cure for SCI will be found.

The Trust was founded in 2005 by Catriona Williams, formerly one of New Zealand’s leading international equestrian riders who, following a riding accident in 2002, is now C6/C7 tetraplegic and confined to a wheelchair. Initially, a group of friends planned to fundraise for Williams herself – but a bigger picture quickly became clear: a cure for all was Williams’ dream. Our key objectives are:
• Support the scientific opinion that a cure for SCI can be found.
• Promote and generate funding for research into a cure for SCI.
• Identify and assist in medical research and development into techniques designed for the regeneration of the effects of spinal cord injuries.
• Monitor the research progress of all scientists funded by the Trust.
• Provide targeted assistance to organisations working on projects that promote the purpose of the Trust.
• Foster cooperation between all disciplines engaged in central nervous system research, regeneration, and direct relief.
• Disseminate information about research into SCI.
• Cooperate with international efforts in this field.

In 2011, CatWalk helped establish through seed funding the Spinal Cord Injury Research Facility based at the Centre for Brain Research at the University of Auckland. The Trust operates a fully transparent and rigorous annual funding process utilising the expertise of the Neurological Foundation’s scientific Advisory Committee and its independent and international peer review process.

The CatWalk Spinal Cord Injury Trust is registered as a Charitable Trust under the Charities Act 2005.
Charities Commission Registration No. CC27170.

SCI research in New Zealand
There has been significant progress with a number of ongoing projects in New Zealand in recent years. Most excitingly, we now know that the channel blockers that prevent the spread of inflammation and damage after SCI can be delivered through the blood stream.

Other areas of research have involved:
- Further development of damage blocking peptide dosage, modification and function (moving towards clinical use);
- MRI imaging to correlate visible changes seen in the cord once clinical peptide applications commence;
- Gene therapy – introducing protective molecules into the spinal cord to remove the scar and allow nerve cells to reconnect;
- Scar inhibition project – determining if specific drugs can provide effective regenerative treatments allowing nerve regrowth;
- Immune cell control – to stop damaging immune cells from entering the spinal cord after injury; and
- Measuring antioxidants – determining the levels of antioxidants after injury will allow for development of effective antioxidant protective therapies for spinal cord injury.

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