International Engagement

The vision is that just seven tablets (gefitinib) and an injection (methotrexate) could be a radically new way to cure most ectopic pregnancies, allowing most women to avoid surgery.

Stephen first came up with this concept in his laboratory in Melbourne in 2009.

Since 2010, he has partnered with Professor Andrew Horne (at the University of Edinburgh) to test this idea in the clinic. Together, they have now completed three clinical trials.

Currently, Stephen is collaborating with Andrew, who is taking the lead to run a large definitive human trial as the final test of this concept. The GEM3 trial is recruiting women with ectopic pregnancies from over 50 hospitals across the United Kingdom.

If GEM3 trial has a positive finding, this could become the new way that most ectopic pregnancies are treated across the globe. Treatment of this life-threatening condition could become safer, easier and simpler for women.

It is a concept Stephen first came up with in the laboratory with his scientist Ulrika Nilsson in Melbourne, back in 2009. It could allow many women to avoid surgery.

This was an important plenary address as it laid the groundwork for a coalition of UK-based investigators to join forces to start a large human trial to definitively test the concept – the GEM3 trial. GEM3 is now a reality and is currently recruiting women with ectopic pregnancies (see Edinburgh).

It was also Stephen’s first exposure to the improbably huge beers served in Munich beer halls. He only managed to down a pitiful amount of the oversized refreshment.

This is a unique and exciting collaboration between Stephen’s laboratory research team at based at the Mercy Hospital and South Africa.

Cathy is leading successive major clinical trials to test potential treatments for severe preeclampsia identified by The Translational Obstetrics Group. Stephen’s research team.

Stephen is also part of the clinical trials leadership group that co-ordinates these exciting studies in South Africa.

This is an ideal collaboration. Sadly, severe disease is absolutely rife in South Africa. This means there is a high case load and candidate drugs discovered at Mercy Hospital can be tested in relatively quick succession in human trials.

The hope is that just a tablet or two can replace surgery to treat this life-threatening condition.

The idea was recently discovered in the laboratory at Mercy Hospital by Stephen’s team – The Translational Obstetrics Group.

This exciting first trial of women diagnosed with ectopic pregnancies started at North Shore Hospital in 2018.

He has active collaborations with researchers across Australia

Since 2010, his team has attracted over seven million dollars in competitive grant funding to undertake their translational research. He has received several prestigious research awards from the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia (NHMRC).

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