Each year, the 20 May marks International Clinical Trials Day, where we shine a light and raise awareness on the clinical trials sector. On this important day, it's crucial to acknowledge the significance of clinical trials and their vital role in advancing medical research and enhancing patient outcomes worldwide.  

Clinical trials have touched the lives of countless individuals, including those who have directly benefited from new treatments discovered through these trials. The impact of these trials on patients and their families cannot be overstated - they have provided hope and a chance for a better quality of life for so many people. 

Since 2016, the Australian Clinical Trials Alliance (ACTA) has recognised the remarkable trialists and researchers who improve the health of many Australians through clinical trials each year at the ACTA Clinical Trials Awards: National Tribute and Award Ceremony. 

The Awards honour those who design, conduct, and participate in ground-breaking clinical trials and promote the importance of clinical trials and the expertise and complexity of the work involved. 

In 2022, ACTA announced the REMAP-CAP trial as the Trial of the Year winner. This Trial uses a novel and innovative adaptive trial design to evaluate multiple treatment options for community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) simultaneously and efficiently. The platform adapted to test multiple treatments for patients with life-threatening COVID-19 infection and has published results for 14 different treatments with these results informing international guidelines.  This included the first identification of targeted immune modulation as a highly effective treatment for ICU patients with one life saved for every 12 patients treated.  A unique feature of the trial is that it increases the likelihood that trial participants will receive treatments that are more likely to be effective for them. 

Professor Steve Webb, ACTA's Board Chair and the lead Investigator and recipient of the ACTA 2022 Trial of The Year Awards, said REMAP-CAP was honoured to be the Trial of the Year winner. 

"When COVID-19 emerged at the beginning of 2020, [REMAP CAP] was able to adapt to answer a series of time-critical questions about the effectiveness of a range of different treatments for life-threatening COVID-19. The results of REMAP-CAP have saved tens, if not hundreds of thousands of lives.  

"On average, over the last 300 years, there has been an influenza pandemic every 23 years. We are over halfway to when we can expect the next influenza outbreak. REMAP-CAP is already generating evidence about how to treat the next pandemic better," adds Professor Webb.  

The 2023 ACTA Trial of the Year Awards will be held at the ACTA International Clinical Trials Symposium at the Park Hyatt, Melbourne, 27 – 29 November. The Gala Dinner on 28 November 2023 will host the esteemed award ceremony. Registrations to the Symposium, Awards and Gala Dinner will open in late May. 

ACTA CEO Dr Stewart Hay said: "REMAP-CAP is a trial that clearly illustrates the power of collaboration and ingenuity. The speed at which this trial was able to respond to the emergence of COVID is remarkable, as is its significant impact to the lives of many people across the globe.  

"As a peak body, ACTA is committed to supporting and advocating for trial teams to ensure they can continue their great work in providing the community with access to life-changing trials.  

"It's essential to mark this day and the many Australian trials that discover lifesaving medical breakthroughs each year. REMAP-CAP is just one example of the vital work and the impact these trials have on a global scale. 

"ACTA is looking forward to receiving this year's Trial of the Year nominations, which are now open. For the first time this year we will be announcing the 2023 winners at our International Clinical Trials Symposium Gala Dinner on 28 November," Dr Hay added. 

About REMAP-CAP 

REMAP-CAP - a multi-factoral, multi-intervention, multi-strata Bayesian adaptive trial that is or has tested more than 50 treatments for patients with severe community acquired pneumonia. It is designed to be a perpetual trial with new domains and interventions added as questions in the launch domains are answered, using response-adaptive randomisation to increase the likelihood patients receive better treatments and with in-built translation of results into practice once any intervention is identified as superior. 

• Click here to watch Professor Steve Webb's progress on REMAP-CAP since winning Trial of the Year 
• Click here to learn more about REMAP-CAP 
• Click here to nominate for the 2023 ACTA Trial of the Year 
• Click here to register to attend the 2023 ACTA International Clinical Trials Symposium 

Please reach out to Lisa Webbe to arrange an interview with ACTA Board Chair Professor Steve Webb or CEO Dr Stewart Hay.