Kia ora ,

Despite ongoing global uncertainty, Aotearoa Clinical Trials remains firmly focused on its mission to bring more novel clinical trials and therapies to the communities we serve across Aotearoa New Zealand.

Our continued commitment to quality has been recognised, with our sites achieving the highest level of accreditation from the International Accreditation Agency for Clinical Research (IAOCR).

We are also committed to building strong partnerships, both within New Zealand and internationally, with organisations that share our goal of making clinical trials more accessible. This is exemplified by our partnership with the Medical Research Institute of New Zealand (MRINZ), a leader in investigator‑initiated and collaborative group trials. Together, we have formed the Clinical Research Alliance of New Zealand, which we believe will grow into a national network of like‑minded researchers.

Research deserves to be celebrated - along with the researchers who make it possible. Our upcoming events highlighting research underway at Middlemore and Whangārei Hospitals provide an opportunity to hear directly from researchers, connect with peers, and showcase their achievements.

We look forward to seeing you there.

Ngā mihi,

Dr Edward Watson

Newsletter Contents:

1. CRANZ Announcement
2. Gold-level Reaccreditation: IAOCR GSCA
3. NEJM Publication: Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
4. Whangārei: Research Day, Monday 8th June 2026
5. Middlemore: Celebrating Research, Thursday 29th October 2026
6. Invitation to take part in our Research Survey
7. Upcoming Trials
8. Recent Publications

CRANZ: Clinical Research Alliance New Zealand

The Medical Research Institute of New Zealand (MRINZ) and the Aotearoa Clinical Trials Trust (ACTT) are pleased to announce the establishment of the Clinical Research Alliance New Zealand (CRANZ), a new national partnership to strengthen and expand high-quality clinical trial research across Aotearoa New Zealand

Both organisations are dedicated to improving health outcomes through rigorous, evidence-based clinical research. CRANZ brings together MRINZ’s internationally recognised research expertise with ACTT’s nationwide, public hospital-embedded clinical trial delivery network to create a coordinated platform for medical research.

The Alliance will:

• Increase the number and support of high-quality investigator-initiated trials (IITs) and collaborative group trials (CGTs)
• Work with overseas funders and research institutes to enable more medical research to be performed in New Zealand
• Enable New Zealand clinicians to design and lead trials that improve patient care and inform clinical practice
• Strengthen collaboration across hospitals, universities, and research institutions
• Build sustainable, nationally coordinated clinical trial capability

Gold-level accreditation achieved – delivering clinical trials to an internationally recognised standard

ACTT has once again been re‑accredited under the International Accrediting Organization for Clinical Research (IAOCR) Global Quality Standard for Clinical Research Sites (GSCA), reaffirming the strong operational foundations that support our clinical research delivery. This marks the third consecutive year that ACTT’s Middlemore and Whangārei Hospital sites have achieved this accreditation.

We’re also proud to share that ACTT has been awarded Gold level certification for the IAOCR Workforce Process Quality Certification (WPQC)—a significant milestone enabled by our people and driven by consistent, high‑quality ways of working.

“Achieving IAOCR re‑accreditation and Workforce Process Quality Certification at Gold level is a proud moment for ACTT. These certifications are a strong endorsement of the quality, consistency, and professionalism our team brings to clinical trials every day. This recognition belongs to our people and reflects the collaboration and commitment that underpin everything we do.”

As a nationally connected clinical research organisation, ACTT continues to strengthen its capability through robust, independently assured quality systems and a highly skilled workforce. As part of a growing clinical research alliance, we are well positioned to deliver participant‑centred trials at scale while supporting the advancement of clinical research capability across Aotearoa New Zealand.

Together, the GSCA re‑accreditation and WPQC Gold certification reinforce ACTT’s position as a globally benchmarked and trusted delivery partner, supporting sponsors to deliver clinical trials to internationally recognised standards.

Why this matters:

IAOCR GSCA accreditation and WPQC Gold certification place ACTT among a select group of internationally recognised, workforce‑accredited clinical trial organisations—able to deliver consistent, high‑quality outcomes with confidence and pace.

Celebrating Our Team’s Impact on Global Lupus Research

We’re thrilled to celebrate a major milestone for our team, with groundbreaking clinical research published in the NEJM Group. A recent Phase III study, “Efficacy and Safety of Obinutuzumab in Active Systemic Lupus Erythematosus,” has delivered promising results for people living with lupus. Participants receiving obinutuzumab in addition to standard therapy achieved significantly higher response rates at 52 weeks (76.7%) compared with placebo (53.5%).

This important work underscores the growing potential of B‑cell–targeting therapies to improve disease control and reduce flares in systemic lupus erythematosus – an often complex and challenging condition affecting millions worldwide.

We are especially proud of Dr Sunil Kumar (Principal Investigator), Dr Mark Sapsford (Sub-investigator), Louise Stubbing, PhD (Lead Coordinator) and the rest of our ACTT team for their contribution to this international, multicentre trial. Dr Sapsford says he found it exciting to be involved with research that can directly benefit our patients with rheumatic diseases.

“Obinutuzumab as a treatment of SLE in future would greatly benefit our difficult to control patient population,” says Dr Kumar.

Their expertise and commitment played a key role in advancing evidence that may help shape the future of lupus treatment in Aotearoa and beyond. A fantastic achievement and a reflection of the impact our team continues to make on the global stage.

Upcoming Research Events

Whangārei: Research Day 8^th June 2026

Aotearoa Clinical Trials’ Research Day 2025 will be held on Monday, 8th June, at Tohorā House, Whangārei Hospital.

This year’s theme reflects our focus on clinician driven research in Te Tai Tokerau:

Growing Research – Yours to Lead
Clinical Research at Whangārei – Led by Clinicians, Supported by ACTT

Clinicians, researchers, and healthcare professionals from across the sector will be joining us for this annual day focussing on sharing local expertise, practical insights, and opportunities to support and strengthen clinical research throughout Aotearoa.

Our aims for the day:

• Strengthen our region’s clinical research capability
• Highlight clinician led research and the support available through ACTT
• Encourage collaboration that improves patient outcomes
• Build sustainable research pathways across Te Tai Tokerau

Please save the date and register below (especially for catering purposes). You can also register for CME.

Middlemore: Celebrating Research 29^th October

Celebrating Research, Thursday 29th October 2026, is our annual showcase recognising excellence, innovation, and emerging talent across Aotearoa’s research community. The event celebrates and highlights work that improves patient outcomes, strengthens collaboration, and advances healthcare for the communities we serve. 

Please save the date and register below (especially for catering purposes). You can also register for CME.

Research Survey

We would like to invite any health care professionals that are interested in being a part of a clinical trial to complete the survey below. We are passionate about facilitating research within hospitals, whether they are commercial or investigator-initiated, in order to improve health outcomes.

Some of the benefits of working with ACTT include:

• Enhanced patient access to innovative treatments
• Access to trials relevant to your specialty and interest
• Reduced workload associated with trial delivery
• Opportunities to participate in or lead research
• Support with administration, e.g.
  • Ethics submissions and protocol development
  • Trial coordination
  • Regulatory processes
  • Patient recruitment

Upcoming Trials

List of upcoming trials that are planned to start in the next 3 months

Recent Publications

Das, S., Bloomfield, F. H., Alexander, T., Jiang, Y., Gamble, G., Lin, L., & Harding, J. E. (2026). Two-Year Follow-Up of the Different Approaches to Feeding Infants Born Moderate-to-Late Preterm: Determinants of Feed Intolerance, Body Composition, and Development (DIAMOND) Randomized Trial. The Journal of pediatrics, 292, 114989. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpeds.2026.114989

Furie, R. A., Dall'Era, M., Vital, E. M., Garg, J. P., Irazoque Palazuelos, F., Zuta Santillán, A. E., Ravelo-Hernández, J., Santiago, M. B., Zazueta Montiel, B., Botha, S., Leszczyński, P., de Souza, V. A., Sicsik, S. A., Bellatin, L., Naidoo, A., Amoura, Z., D'Agostino, M. A., Kumar, S., Workeneh, B., Rae, J., … ALLEGORY Trial Investigators (2026). Efficacy and Safety of Obinutuzumab in Active Systemic Lupus Erythematosus. The New England journal of medicine, 10.1056/NEJMoa2516150. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa2516150

Tan, E., McKinlay, C. J. D., Riley, J., Rao, M., Mravicich, L., Lawrence, S., Eathorne, A., Braithwaite, I., Semprini, A., Okesene-Gafa, K., Sheridan, N., Hoare, K., Grant, C., Johnson, D., Weatherall, M., Beasley, R., & Dalziel, S. R. (2026). Paracetamol versus ibuprofen as required for fever or pain in the first year of life and the risk of eczema and bronchiolitis at age 1 year in New Zealand (PIPPA Tamariki): a multicentre, open-label, parallel-group, superiority, randomised controlled trial. The Lancet. Child & adolescent health, 10(3), 156–166. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2352-4642(25)00341-4

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