Oral insulin project’s impact named among best of NHMRC-funded research.
 

Professor Victoria Cogger has been honoured by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), with her groundbreaking oral insulin research being named in the council’s 10 of the Best publication. 

Researchers recognised in 17^th edition of 10 of the Best were named at a celebration of the publication’s release held in Canberra on Monday 30 March. 

Professor Cogger said it was wonderful to receive such recognition. 

“It came as a great surprise,” she said. 

“It’s really lovely recognition, not just for me but for all the members of the team that worked on this research.” 

First published in 2005, 10 of the Best is designed to highlight the success stories of NHMRC-funded investigators whose work is contributing to the health of Australians. 

The team led by Professor Cogger at Sydney Local Health District’s ANZAC Research Institute at Concord Hospital included Professor David Le Couteur, Professor Zdenka Kuncic, Professor Peter McCourt, Dr Nicholas Hunt and Glen Lockwood. 

In 2017 the team received NHMRC funding to examine how to turn back the clock on ageing, focusing on the use of nanotechnology. The research, focused on the role of the liver in ageing, led to the development of oral insulin. 

The project was recognised at the 2024 NSW Health Awards, where oral insulin won the Health Research Award.  

Professor Cogger and her collaborators have undertaken rigorous basic and translational research to develop the treatment and oral insulin is scheduled to undergo human clinical trials this year. 

“The clinical trial is registered and we're starting to seek out our first trial participants,” Professor Cogger said. 

“We’re pretty much ready to go, so it is really exciting.” 

Preparations for the clinical trial have also provided some challenges for Professor Cogger, who was last month appointed founding Executive Director of the Sydney Biomedical Accelerator (SBA). 

“If there has been a manufacturing issue, we've uncovered it,” she said. 

“But these are the sorts of things that make me so compelled by what we're trying to do with the SBA after the challenging process of moving from a prototype to knowing it can be made by other people.”