New artificial intelligence platform links patients with latest trial treatments

Finding the latest and best treatments on trial for conditions from migraine to cancer can be daunting but there is now a solution to help take the stress out of the search.

Australians diagnosed with a wide range of conditions can now be linked with clinical trials worldwide for the latest and best new treatments.

Michelle Gallaher, who has a background in biotechnology and drug development, designed Opin to help patients navigate the often complex world of clinical trials. It is as simple as typing in your condition, from migraine to rare cancers, to be linked with trials underway all over the world.

“It matches patients to clinical trials anywhere in the world,” she said.

The idea came when a friend was diagnosed with stage four melanoma.

“We knew exactly who to talk to, to get her into a trial to try and save her life and not everyone knows that and we thought that was unfair,” she said.

“We got her onto one of the new drugs and we got her into two clinical trials (so) she lived three years longer than she would have.

Michelle Gallaher set up the Opin platform to hook patients up with clinical trials around the world

“My thinking was not everyone has someone like us who can navigate this system.

“Getting into a clinical trial means they can access these new emerging medicines and they are for free — and you get a good quality of care because you are monitored.”

When first diagnosed, most people turn to Dr Google, which can be a minefield of misinformation and scams.

“There are crazy, pretend clinical trials that ask you to pay to get in, so that is not a clinical trial, not a legitimate one,” she said.

“We are helping patients navigate the right clinical trial path, not the crazy one.

“It is upsetting when you work in medical research and you see people going to these crazy therapies or they are raising money to go to Mexico and you know there is a great clinical trial underway in Australia.”

Sandra Woods was not given long to live in 2016 but finding a trial for her cancer meant she got to meet her first great-grandchild Levi.

Sandra Woods was diagnosed with a neuroendocrine cancer in 2016 but, after surgery, she was told there was nothing more they could do and to go home.

But through patient group NeuroEndocrine Cancer Australia, Mrs Woods, now 68, found out about a clinical trial and got onto it, receiving peptide receptor radionuclide therapy.

“I went exceedingly well and went four years without progression. It progressed in May this year so I have done another cycle. If I’d not found the trial, the outcome would have been a very much shortened lifespan,” she said.

“I met my great grandson for the first time in February 2018 and I did not think I would live long enough to hold that tiny baby in my arms but here I am doing exactly that.”

Simone Leydon from NeuroEndocrine Cancer Australia said the Opin platform was very welcome.

“We can’t rely on health care professionals to tell patients about trials because often we see the health care professionals who should know about trials often don’t,” she said.