Researchers stunned after Australian Catholic University axes human trial

The Australian Catholic University cancelled part of a research grant in the middle of a human clinical trial.

Wayne McKenna.

The Australian Catholic University cancelled part of an $8 million taxpayer-funded research grant in the middle of a human clinical trial without telling researchers from several institutions why the project had been terminated.

The university was awarded the collaborative research grant — designed to help smaller and ­research-inexperienced institutions partner with leaders in the field — in 2013 and pooled some of its own money with the University of Melbourne, Melbourne’s St Vincent’s Hospital and others for a $22m examination of cardio­vascular health.

But in February last year, ­researchers were told by phone and email the project was ending immediately and some no longer had work at the university.

The following month, 10 researchers led by Jo Wu sent a letter to deputy vice-chancellor (research) Wayne ­McKenna demanding answers about the project and the payment of late invoices. “The study investigators are amazed and shocked that a decision to cease funding has been made with little or no consultation,” the letter said.

“At a minimum, a formal ­review of the project’s progress ­involving the investigators should have been arranged before any ­decision regarding ongoing funding was made. The potential impact of this decision on the reputation of the researchers and, needless to say, the university is enormous. The fallout in terms of the practicalities and ethical ­requirements that will need to be completed to appropriately cease the trial is also substantial.”

At the time it was cancelled, the group had recruited 119 patients into a clinical trial that promised home visits as part of the cardiac-diabetes “TRANSCare” program.

One of the group told The Australian that cancelling a human trial so abruptly was “almost unheard of”. The cancellation was reported to the ACU’s human ­research ethics committee.

A university spokeswoman said the “funding was reallocated to another ­research project”, even though the university website lists the project as “current”.

“ACU notified the government in the May 2016 Collaborative ­Research Networks Program Progress Report that the TRANSCare program had been ter­minated,” the spokeswoman said. “The CRN Program was fully acquitted in December 2016 and the final ­report submitted in June 2017 has been approved. A number of ­conference papers were published as a result of the project.”

An Education Department spokesman said the transfer of funds was “agreed to by the ­department following a detailed assessment of proposed reallocation of funds on the basis that it met the grant agreement”.

Professor McKenna emailed ­researchers in April last year, saying he would “respond” to concerns about the human trial. “I have asked my office to provide me with copies of all of the correspondence relating to this matter and I shall then ­respond,” he said.

The researchers have received no response.

Professor McKenna said in a statement yesterday: “ACU has clear protocols for managing the progress and completion of all ­research projects and I am confident that this project was finalised according to these protocols.”

The Australian yesterday revealed Health Minister Greg Hunt has directed his department to investigate the grants process under the National Health and Medical Research Council in relation to “research integrity”.