Your partner of choice for chronic lung disease clinical trials in Australia.

An international leader in clinical trials, saving and improving lives through research.

Years' operating

Trials opened

Patients enrolled

Why the Institute for Respiratory Health?

We have undertaken 253 trials in chronic lung disease including, asthma, COPD, alpha 1-antitrypsin deficiency, bronchiectasis, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and cystic fibrosis, vaccines and COVID-19 home monitoring with more than 2400 patients.

We are the largest specialised respiratory clinical trials unit within Western Australia.
State-of-the-art facility.
We have access to world-class respiratory physicians.
We offer excellent ethics and governance processes.
Our dedicated team members are experts in respiratory medicine.
Close links with the state health department.

Why Australia and Perth?

Australian (TGA) clinical trials are typically four-six months faster than US (FDA) trials. They are often a third of the cost and delivered at an exceptional standard. Benefits include:

Quality medical research infrastructure and a skilled workforce.
Asian time zone.
An ethnically diverse, English-speaking population.
A world-class healthcare system.
Fast-tracked approvals.

What is a clinical trial?

Clinical trials are research studies with volunteers designed to learn more about how our bodies respond to medications or other treatments. We are grateful to the thousands of volunteers who participate in our clinical trials – making this all possible.

Why are clinical trials important?

Clinical trials are important for discovering new treatments for diseases, as well as new ways to detect, diagnose, and reduce the chance of developing the disease.

Patient volunteers are our heroes

We strive to create clinical trials as diverse as the patients we serve. See the stories behind our work.

“I was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) in 2017 and given a life expectancy of three to five years. My lung specialist recommended participating in a lung trial with the Institute for Respiratory Health and we jumped at the opportunity. The treatment I’ve received has been a life-giving experience. The nursing team are so supportive and have become like family to me.”

I have emphysema and decided to participate in a clinical trial with the Institute for Respiratory Health because I wanted to help find a cure for the disease and help to save lives of other people. I’m not sure if I was on the placebo or not but I did have an improvement in my breathing and capacity to undertake exercise whilst on the trial for nine months. It has been great to have the chance to try a beneficial treatment that may take years to become available to the public.

I have COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) and participated in a clinical trial to test whether beta-blockers can reduce the chances of a stroke or heart attack for people who have COPD like me. My hope is that results from clinical trials like this will be the magic bullet that will fix everything. And if it doesn’t, then that’s OK because researchers learn from research. There’s constant progress that will potentially save lives for future generations.

I have had lung and respiratory issues since I was a child and was finally diagnosed with bronchiectasis in my early twenties. I got involved with a clinical trial as there is very little research out there about this lung condition and it can be debilitating – with the constant coughing, fatigue and breathlessness that comes with it. I hope the clinical trial I’m currently on will lead to new treatments to improve the quality of life of those with this disease.

I have Alpha1 Anti Trypsin Deficiency (AATD). It’s a genetic condition, although I didn’t realise I had it until five years ago. It can affect your lungs or liver or both, my type affects my lungs. I’ve always been fit playing netball, water skiing, walking, cycling and weight training. About six years ago I was training for a cycling event and I could just not get any faster on my bike, despite training six times a week. I went to my doctor and he did a breathing test in the surgery and thought I had asthma, I went to see a specialist who said I had emphysema but then I finally got diagnosed with AATD. The trial I’ve been on has made me feel so much better and I no longer ‘crackle in my sleep’. I believe it’s slowed down the degeneration of my lungs. My one wish is that the treatment gets approved and becomes available to everyone who has this progressive lung condition.

I am currently on Vertex Skyline VX-121 cystic fibrosis trial. My doctor nominated me and I thought I’d give it a go as I had been struggling with my health for some time. Unfortunately, my experience on the trial hasn’t provided the health results I was hoping for. But I still think I’m making an important contribution as clinical trials research contributes to the development of medicines by collecting data from patients and you can also get access to potentially life-saving medications not yet approved by the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS). The clinical trials team have been amazing and very supportive throughout my time on this trial, particularly when I’ve experienced some difficult times with illness and side effects.

I have Non-Specific Interstitial Pneumonitis (NSIP), a rare disorder that affects the tissue that surrounds and separates the tiny air sacs of the lungs. After being diagnosed in 2018, I wanted to discover more about my lung condition as there wasn’t a lot of information available about it. I found the Institute’s clinical trials unit online and was delighted with the in-depth information provided and was pleased that they were located in Perth. I signed up for the first clinical trial that I could and it wasn’t long before I was contacted and invited to participate. What I love about clinical research is that you can get a head start with access to new treatments that aren’t available to anyone else. And the treatments can make a big difference to your overall health.

Join a clinical trial

A Perth clinical trial may give you access to new, innovative treatments. People who participate in a trial are often the first to access and benefit from new and emerging treatments.

You get to discover new treatments.
You get the chance to trial beneficial new treatments that make take years to become widely available.
You get the chance to play an active role in your own healthcare.
You get to enhance medical research. When a medication or treatment has a successful outcome, it can save thousands of lives.