Partnership grant with Metagenics for endometriosis

A team lead by Dr Mike Armour from NICM Health Research Institute and including NICM academics Professor Caroline Smith and Dr Carolyn Ee has been successful in being awarded a competitive University partnership grant with industry partner Metagenics Australia. This project will investigate a Chinese medicine treatment for endometriosis.

Endometriosis, a condition where tissue similar to the lining of the uterus is found outside the uterus, affects over 700,000 women in Australia alone and is estimated to cost between AUD$7.7 billion to $9.9 billion per year. Endometriosis negatively affects almost every aspect of women’s lives, from friendships, to romantic relationships to work and finances.

Commencing in early 2019 NICM will lead a clinical investigation of the efficacy of a modified traditional Chinese medicine formula (Gui Zhi Fu Ling Wan), called Gynoclear™ on the symptoms of endometriosis.

The University grant, together with additional Metagenics funding, will include undertaking qualitative focus research groups followed by a double blind, randomised controlled trial. The study will examine the feasibility, efficacy and cost-effectiveness of the modified formulation as an adjunct treatment for endometriosis related pain.

The original formula, Gui Zhi Fu Ling Wan, is the most commonly used Chinese medicine formula for the complex symptoms typical of endometriosis, but currently there is insufficient high quality, research on this formulation.

With so many women’s quality of life significantly affected by endometriosis and the consequential cost to the economy, successful funding for this project has been a vital coup.