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Issue

Vol 133 No 1515: 22 May 2020

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Issue Summary

Article
SUMMARY

Exploring medicinal use of cannabis in a time of policy change in New Zealand

Marta Rychert, Chris Wilkins, Karl Parker, Thomas Graydon-Guy

The new Medicinal Cannabis Scheme became operational last month (1 April 2020), but patients’ access remains limited until cannabis-based products are assessed and approved by the Medicinal Cannabis Agency. Products brought within the regime must meet minimum quality standards (efficacy data does not need to be provided) and they must not be in a form intended for smoking (although dried cannabis flower intended for vaping can be approved and prescribed). Approved products can include oils, pills, sprays and lozenges, but not herbal cannabis for smoking. There is currently limited knowledge about how New Zealanders use and access cannabis for medicinal reasons.

Article
SUMMARY

Cannabis-based medicinal products in arthritis, a painful conundrum

Marthe Van den Berg, Mary John, Melissa Black, Alex Semprini, Karen Oldfield, Michelle Glass, Irene Braithwaite

We reviewed the medical literature to gain an understanding of whether cannabis-based products might be helpful in the management of arthritis. We asked three main questions. 1) Is there molecular evidence that the human endocannabinoid system is associated with the disease process of arthritis? 2) Is there scientific evidence from animal trials showing that cannabis-based products or products designed to mediate the human endocannabinoid system influence the disease process of arthritis? 3) Is there evidence of cannabis-based products working in humans with arthritis? We found that there is some molecular evidence of an association between the human endocannabinoid system and arthritis, that mouse models of arthritis may be influenced by the direct administration of trial products into the joint or the spine, and that there were only two trials of similar products in humans with arthritis, one of which was terminated early, and the other that lasted only five weeks that showed some reduction in pain in rheumatoid arthritis patients. The evidence with respect to long-term efficacy and safety in this patient group does not support a prescription for cannabis-based products.

Viewpoint
SUMMARY

Challenges of virtual talking therapies for substance misuse in New Zealand during the COVID-19 pandemic: an opinion piece | OPEN ACCESS

Susanna Galea-Singer, David Newcombe, Virginia Farnsworth-Grodd, Janie Sheridan, Peter Adams, Natalie Walker

The article is a viewpoint on the virtual approaches to the provision of talking therapies during the COVID-19 pandemic. It refers to exciting and transformative approaches that were adopted as the spread of COVID-19 was observed in New Zealand. These approaches are likely to remain available regardless of availability of face-to-face treatment post COVID, in particular for clients for whom physical access to treatment is limited such as those in rural areas. The aim of the article is to describe some practical issues, concerns and potential solutions to the provision of virtual effective treatment.

Article
SUMMARY

Change in smoking intentions of university students in New Zealand following simulated cigarette price increases: results of the first of two cross-sectional surveys | OPEN ACCESS

Ben Wamamili

This study examined the changes in smoking intentions of university students in response to simulated increases in cigarette prices. Data came from 187 students from all eight universities who currently smoked (53% aged ≥21 years, 60% male, 90% non-Māori, 18% current e-cigarette users). Results show that more students would reduce smoking, switch to e-cigarettes or quit altogether, as prices increase. Stronger intentions to quit were reported in younger students and females, while males were more likely to switch to e-cigarettes. Overall, more students indicated that they would quit than switch to e-cigarettes as prices increase.

Viewpoint
SUMMARY

A balanced opinion? Considering the role of the external clinical advisor in ACC processes

Andrew Dickson, Joanna Manning

This paper looks critically at the role of the ‘external clinical advisor’ (ECA) in the processes of the Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC), particularly as they relate to birth injuries. Using the case of Dr Dickson’s son’s birth injury, the paper presents extracts from an external clinical advisor report to show how a power imbalance can be enacted in ACC decision-making processes. It also demonstrates that the normal checks and balances in the system, particularly those provided by the Health & Disability Commissioner, are bypassed in most cases. Finally, a recommendation is made to potential external clinical advisors to precisely following the standards set by the Medical Council in all cases when writing reports for ACC.

Viewpoint
SUMMARY

The practice of the alcohol industry as health educator: a critique

Nicki Jackson, Rachael Dixon

Alcohol companies are entering New Zealand high schools to deliver one-off sessions to promote ‘responsible drinking’ to students. This paper provides an evidence-based critique of the corporate-led school-based education programme from an alcohol harm reduction and educational perspective. It finds the programme reinforces industry rhetoric, omits key information, is strategically ambiguous and can undermine educational best practice. It is likely to serve to whitewash the image of the alcohol industry, delaying the adoption of effective alcohol policies that would reduce alcohol harm to young people.

Article
SUMMARY

Retrospective analysis of eligibility for denosumab in patients presenting with osteoporotic fractures and renal impairment treated by orthogeriatric service at Middlemore Hospital

Michael Yoon Kang, Jessica Besley, Tina Sun, Sunita Paul

Osteoporosis is a medical condition common in older adults which is characterised by the weakening of bones resulting in increased risk of having bony fractures. Bisphosphonate is a type of medication used as a first-line therapy in New Zealand to treat osteoporosis, however it cannot be used in severe kidney failure, which is another condition common in older adults. A new medication called denosumab has been shown to be as effective as bisphosphonates in osteoporosis and safer to use in kidney failure. However, the use of this medication is currently restricted by the PHARMAC special authority criteria. This research firstly confirms that osteoporosis and kidney failure co-occur together in considerable number of New Zealand patients aged 65 years and above, which prevents the use of bisphosphonates. Secondly, our study demonstrates that current PHARMAC criteria is too restrictive, as majority of the patients with osteoporosis and kidney failure were not eligible to access denosumab. Our research sheds light on the urgent need for the PHARMAC criteria to be reviewed to improve access to denosumab in these patients.

Article
SUMMARY

Increasing burden of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma in New Zealand—the need for better surveillance

Cameron Schauer, Thomas Mules, Marius van Rijnsoever, Ed Gane

People with chronic viral hepatitis B or C virus infection have a high risk of developing liver cancer. Unfortunately, in most cases, the cancer is only detected when the person complains of pain or swelling when the cancer is very advanced when survival is only a few months. The main cause of this late presentation is because the individual did not know that he or she was at risk of liver cancer because he or she had never been tested for hepatitis B or hepatitis C virus infection. Earlier diagnosis of hepatitis B or C allows effective antiviral treatment which prevents cirrhosis, which is the biggest risk for liver cancer. And even in those who are already cirrhotic at the time of diagnosis of hepatitis B or C, regular screening with ultrasounds will detect small cancers which can be cured.

Article
SUMMARY

The New Zealand nuclear veteran and families study, exploring the options to assess heritable health outcomes | OPEN ACCESS

John Dockerty, James Jolly, Asutosh Kumar, Trent Larsen, Bill Lu, David Iain McBride, Sam McGill, Robin Turner, Sonia Wall, Stephanie Williams, Alan Yi, Anastasia Gough-Young

Ionising radiation can cause changes in the chromosomes carrying the genetic code; such changes having been shown in nuclear veterans, but we know neither if these changes result in disease, nor whether they can be passed on by fathers to offspring. In this survey, Mururoa veterans’ fathers reported cancers much more often than offspring, but both reported high levels of anxiety and depression. Common conditions may be inherited through the way the genes express themselves through decoding; however, this ‘epigenetic’ mechanism is extremely complex and we need to know exactly where to look for the signals that are present. The best chance of detecting heritable change is to look at cancers, where we can look at specific changes in the code, so establishing a registry of veterans and their offspring and storing tissue samples for later analysis is the best way of doing this.

Viewpoint
SUMMARY

Inhaled modified angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) as a decoy to mitigate SARS-CoV-2 infection | OPEN ACCESS

Rohan Ameratunga, Klaus Lehnert, Euphemia Leung, Davide Comoletti, Russell Snell, See-Tarn Woon, William Abbott, Emily Mears, Richard Steele, Jeff McKee, Andrew Muscroft-Taylor, Shanthi Ameratunga, Natalie Medlicott, Shyamal Das, William Rolleston, Miguel E Quiñones-Mateu, Helen Petousis-Harris, Anthony Jordan

COVID-19 is a new infection for which there is currently no effective treatment and a safe and effective vaccine is at least a year away. We believe the Achilles heel of the virus is a specific protein in the lungs, ACE2, which is needed for infection. We are manufacturing ACE2 molecules to be inhaled to act as a decoy to reduce viral damage to the lungs. If successful these molecules will reduce the severity of infection and prevent deaths in many vulnerable patients. We are a group of clinicians and scientists from all over New Zealand who are using our expertise in this altruistic project and if successful, we will make our technology freely available.

Article
SUMMARY

Attitudes towards cannabis and cannabis law change in a New Zealand birth cohort

Joseph M Boden, Lana Cleland, Bhubaneswor Dhakal, L John Horwood

These findings provide insight into cannabis-related views within the New Zealand context, and may help to predict voting behaviour during the 2020 Cannabis Referendum. We identified a wide range of attitudes across the cohort, however the majority tended to hold a neutral view. More than 80% of the cohort expressed support for medicinal cannabis, while 47.8% supported decriminalisation, and 26.8% expressed support for legalisation for recreational use. The strongest predictors of support for legalisation were prior use of cannabis and other drugs, while additional positive predictors included a history of depression, Māori ancestry, parental drug use, novelty seeking and higher educational attainment. Predictors of more negative attitudes were also identified, and included female gender and having dependent children.

ALL ARTICLES
SUMMARY
Editorial
Vol 133 No 1515: 22 May 2020

The Government’s proposal to legalise cannabis in New Zealand: 10 key questions

Chris Wilkins, Marta Rychert

A national referendum on the legal status of recreational cannabis use and supply in New Zealand will be held at the next general election in September 2020.

Article
Vol 133 No 1515: 22 May 2020

Exploring medicinal use of cannabis in a time of policy change in New Zealand

Marta Rychert, Chris Wilkins, Karl Parker, Thomas Graydon-Guy

Despite limited scientific evidence for the medicinal benefits of cannabis (ie, double blind placebo-controlled trials), a growing number of countries have facilitated greater legal access to cannabis and/or cannabis-based preparations for medicinal use, including Australia, UK, Canada, Germany, Israel, Netherlands and over half of US states.

Article
Vol 133 No 1515: 22 May 2020

Cannabis-based medicinal products in arthritis, a painful conundrum

Marthe Van den Berg, Mary John, Melissa Black, Alex Semprini, Karen Oldfield, Michelle Glass, Irene Braithwaite

The legal climate regarding the medicinal use of cannabinoids and the public advocacy for access to cannabis-based medicinal products has been changing over the years.

Article
Vol 133 No 1515: 22 May 2020

Change in smoking intentions of university students in New Zealand following simulated cigarette price increases: results of the first of two cross-sectional surveys | OPEN ACCESS

Ben Wamamili

Smoking remains one of the leading causes of preventable death and illness in New Zealand and elsewhere. Each year about 5,000 people in New Zealand die because of smoking or second-hand smoke exposure.

Article
Vol 133 No 1515: 22 May 2020

Retrospective analysis of eligibility for denosumab in patients presenting with osteoporotic fractures and renal impairment treated by orthogeriatric service at Middlemore Hospital

Michael Yoon Kang, Jessica Besley, Tina Sun, Sunita Paul

Osteoporosis is a disease characterised by low bone mass, micro-architectural disruption and skeletal fragility resulting in decreased bone strength and increased risk of fracture.

Article
Vol 133 No 1515: 22 May 2020

Increasing burden of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma in New Zealand—the need for better surveillance

Cameron Schauer, Thomas Mules, Marius van Rijnsoever, Ed Gane

Viral hepatitis accounts for the vast majority of newly diagnosed hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) worldwide.

Article
Vol 133 No 1515: 22 May 2020

The New Zealand nuclear veteran and families study, exploring the options to assess heritable health outcomes | OPEN ACCESS

John Dockerty, James Jolly, Asutosh Kumar, Trent Larsen, Bill Lu, David Iain McBride, Sam McGill, Robin Turner, Sonia Wall, Stephanie Williams, Alan Yi, Anastasia Gough-Young

Over the past century, knowledge regarding the harmful effects of exposure to radiation has increased. It is now known that exposure to radiation can damage living cells by altering DNA.

Article
Vol 133 No 1515: 22 May 2020

Attitudes towards cannabis and cannabis law change in a New Zealand birth cohort

Joseph M Boden, Lana Cleland, Bhubaneswor Dhakal, L John Horwood

Cannabis use is widespread within New Zealand, with an estimated 70–80% of the population having tried cannabis by age 25.

Viewpoint
Vol 133 No 1515: 22 May 2020

Challenges of virtual talking therapies for substance misuse in New Zealand during the COVID-19 pandemic: an opinion piece | OPEN ACCESS

Susanna Galea-Singer, David Newcombe, Virginia Farnsworth-Grodd, Janie Sheridan, Peter Adams, Natalie Walker

In November 2019, the world was hit by a novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2 (referred to as COVID-19). The first cases emerged from Wuhan in China, but rapidly spread across the world.

Viewpoint
Vol 133 No 1515: 22 May 2020

A balanced opinion? Considering the role of the external clinical advisor in ACC processes

Andrew Dickson, Joanna Manning

The role of the external clinical advisor (ECA) is critical to the adjudication of complex claims in the processes of the Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC).

Viewpoint
Vol 133 No 1515: 22 May 2020

The practice of the alcohol industry as health educator: a critique

Nicki Jackson, Rachael Dixon

Due to typically heavy patterns of drinking as well as differences in alcohol sensitivities and risk-taking behaviours, adolescents experience disproportionately more harm from their drinking than older drinkers.

Viewpoint
Vol 133 No 1515: 22 May 2020

Inhaled modified angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) as a decoy to mitigate SARS-CoV-2 infection | OPEN ACCESS

Rohan Ameratunga, Klaus Lehnert, Euphemia Leung, Davide Comoletti, Russell Snell, See-Tarn Woon, William Abbott, Emily Mears, Richard Steele, Jeff McKee, Andrew Muscroft-Taylor, Shanthi Ameratunga, Natalie Medlicott, Shyamal Das, William Rolleston, Miguel E Quiñones-Mateu, Helen Petousis-Harris, Anthony Jordan

COVID-19 is an emerging zoonotic disease, caused by SARS-CoV-2, which appears to have been transmitted to humans in late 2019 in the Hubei province of China, probably from an intermediate host in a live animal market.

Clinical Correspondence
Vol 133 No 1515: 22 May 2020

A memorable case of secondary syphilis

Gerhard Eichhoff, Stephen Hogg

A 50-year-old female with no significant medical history suffered an 18-month-long illness with recurrent painful mouth lesions that culminated in mucous patches, together with headaches and episodes of blurred vision, recurrent anogenital lesions, and near-continuous fatigue and arthralgias.

Clinical Correspondence
Vol 133 No 1515: 22 May 2020

Acute onset internuclear ophthalmoplegia responsive to treatment with intravenous alteplase

Karim M Mahawish, Adarsh Aravind

Isolated pontine infarcts account for approximately 3% of ischaemic strokes in hospital registry studies.

Letter
Vol 133 No 1515: 22 May 2020

Beyond COVID-19: five actions which would improve the health of all New Zealanders | OPEN ACCESS

Emma Espiner, Selah Hart, Garth Poole, Tamara Glyn Mullaney, Su Mei Hoh

We congratulate the New Zealand government for the unprecedented steps taken to protect our population from the potentially catastrophic threat to public health posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Research Letter
Vol 133 No 1515: 22 May 2020

Survey of public understanding regarding SARS-CoV-2 | OPEN ACCESS

Roland Crantock

Coronavirus is undoubtedly one of the 21st century’s most publicised diseases. Community education is important in the prevention of SARS-CoV-2 transmission and may reduce the impact of this disease on our community.

100 Years Ago in the NZMJ
Vol 133 No 1515: 22 May 2020

Organisation of National Health

The last Annual Meeting of the New Zealand Branch of the British Medical Association was remarkable for the recognition of the need for social service by the profession beyond the scope of private practice. There is much work to be done for the improvement of public and private hospitals.

Article
SUMMARY

Exploring medicinal use of cannabis in a time of policy change in New Zealand

Marta Rychert, Chris Wilkins, Karl Parker, Thomas Graydon-Guy

The new Medicinal Cannabis Scheme became operational last month (1 April 2020), but patients’ access remains limited until cannabis-based products are assessed and approved by the Medicinal Cannabis Agency. Products brought within the regime must meet minimum quality standards (efficacy data does not need to be provided) and they must not be in a form intended for smoking (although dried cannabis flower intended for vaping can be approved and prescribed). Approved products can include oils, pills, sprays and lozenges, but not herbal cannabis for smoking. There is currently limited knowledge about how New Zealanders use and access cannabis for medicinal reasons.

Article
SUMMARY

Cannabis-based medicinal products in arthritis, a painful conundrum

Marthe Van den Berg, Mary John, Melissa Black, Alex Semprini, Karen Oldfield, Michelle Glass, Irene Braithwaite

We reviewed the medical literature to gain an understanding of whether cannabis-based products might be helpful in the management of arthritis. We asked three main questions. 1) Is there molecular evidence that the human endocannabinoid system is associated with the disease process of arthritis? 2) Is there scientific evidence from animal trials showing that cannabis-based products or products designed to mediate the human endocannabinoid system influence the disease process of arthritis? 3) Is there evidence of cannabis-based products working in humans with arthritis? We found that there is some molecular evidence of an association between the human endocannabinoid system and arthritis, that mouse models of arthritis may be influenced by the direct administration of trial products into the joint or the spine, and that there were only two trials of similar products in humans with arthritis, one of which was terminated early, and the other that lasted only five weeks that showed some reduction in pain in rheumatoid arthritis patients. The evidence with respect to long-term efficacy and safety in this patient group does not support a prescription for cannabis-based products.

Article
SUMMARY

Change in smoking intentions of university students in New Zealand following simulated cigarette price increases: results of the first of two cross-sectional surveys | OPEN ACCESS

Ben Wamamili

This study examined the changes in smoking intentions of university students in response to simulated increases in cigarette prices. Data came from 187 students from all eight universities who currently smoked (53% aged ≥21 years, 60% male, 90% non-Māori, 18% current e-cigarette users). Results show that more students would reduce smoking, switch to e-cigarettes or quit altogether, as prices increase. Stronger intentions to quit were reported in younger students and females, while males were more likely to switch to e-cigarettes. Overall, more students indicated that they would quit than switch to e-cigarettes as prices increase.

Article
SUMMARY

Retrospective analysis of eligibility for denosumab in patients presenting with osteoporotic fractures and renal impairment treated by orthogeriatric service at Middlemore Hospital

Michael Yoon Kang, Jessica Besley, Tina Sun, Sunita Paul

Osteoporosis is a medical condition common in older adults which is characterised by the weakening of bones resulting in increased risk of having bony fractures. Bisphosphonate is a type of medication used as a first-line therapy in New Zealand to treat osteoporosis, however it cannot be used in severe kidney failure, which is another condition common in older adults. A new medication called denosumab has been shown to be as effective as bisphosphonates in osteoporosis and safer to use in kidney failure. However, the use of this medication is currently restricted by the PHARMAC special authority criteria. This research firstly confirms that osteoporosis and kidney failure co-occur together in considerable number of New Zealand patients aged 65 years and above, which prevents the use of bisphosphonates. Secondly, our study demonstrates that current PHARMAC criteria is too restrictive, as majority of the patients with osteoporosis and kidney failure were not eligible to access denosumab. Our research sheds light on the urgent need for the PHARMAC criteria to be reviewed to improve access to denosumab in these patients.

Article
SUMMARY

Increasing burden of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma in New Zealand—the need for better surveillance

Cameron Schauer, Thomas Mules, Marius van Rijnsoever, Ed Gane

People with chronic viral hepatitis B or C virus infection have a high risk of developing liver cancer. Unfortunately, in most cases, the cancer is only detected when the person complains of pain or swelling when the cancer is very advanced when survival is only a few months. The main cause of this late presentation is because the individual did not know that he or she was at risk of liver cancer because he or she had never been tested for hepatitis B or hepatitis C virus infection. Earlier diagnosis of hepatitis B or C allows effective antiviral treatment which prevents cirrhosis, which is the biggest risk for liver cancer. And even in those who are already cirrhotic at the time of diagnosis of hepatitis B or C, regular screening with ultrasounds will detect small cancers which can be cured.

Article
SUMMARY

The New Zealand nuclear veteran and families study, exploring the options to assess heritable health outcomes | OPEN ACCESS

John Dockerty, James Jolly, Asutosh Kumar, Trent Larsen, Bill Lu, David Iain McBride, Sam McGill, Robin Turner, Sonia Wall, Stephanie Williams, Alan Yi, Anastasia Gough-Young

Ionising radiation can cause changes in the chromosomes carrying the genetic code; such changes having been shown in nuclear veterans, but we know neither if these changes result in disease, nor whether they can be passed on by fathers to offspring. In this survey, Mururoa veterans’ fathers reported cancers much more often than offspring, but both reported high levels of anxiety and depression. Common conditions may be inherited through the way the genes express themselves through decoding; however, this ‘epigenetic’ mechanism is extremely complex and we need to know exactly where to look for the signals that are present. The best chance of detecting heritable change is to look at cancers, where we can look at specific changes in the code, so establishing a registry of veterans and their offspring and storing tissue samples for later analysis is the best way of doing this.

Article
SUMMARY

Attitudes towards cannabis and cannabis law change in a New Zealand birth cohort

Joseph M Boden, Lana Cleland, Bhubaneswor Dhakal, L John Horwood

These findings provide insight into cannabis-related views within the New Zealand context, and may help to predict voting behaviour during the 2020 Cannabis Referendum. We identified a wide range of attitudes across the cohort, however the majority tended to hold a neutral view. More than 80% of the cohort expressed support for medicinal cannabis, while 47.8% supported decriminalisation, and 26.8% expressed support for legalisation for recreational use. The strongest predictors of support for legalisation were prior use of cannabis and other drugs, while additional positive predictors included a history of depression, Māori ancestry, parental drug use, novelty seeking and higher educational attainment. Predictors of more negative attitudes were also identified, and included female gender and having dependent children.

Viewpoint
SUMMARY

Challenges of virtual talking therapies for substance misuse in New Zealand during the COVID-19 pandemic: an opinion piece | OPEN ACCESS

Susanna Galea-Singer, David Newcombe, Virginia Farnsworth-Grodd, Janie Sheridan, Peter Adams, Natalie Walker

The article is a viewpoint on the virtual approaches to the provision of talking therapies during the COVID-19 pandemic. It refers to exciting and transformative approaches that were adopted as the spread of COVID-19 was observed in New Zealand. These approaches are likely to remain available regardless of availability of face-to-face treatment post COVID, in particular for clients for whom physical access to treatment is limited such as those in rural areas. The aim of the article is to describe some practical issues, concerns and potential solutions to the provision of virtual effective treatment.

Viewpoint
SUMMARY

A balanced opinion? Considering the role of the external clinical advisor in ACC processes

Andrew Dickson, Joanna Manning

This paper looks critically at the role of the ‘external clinical advisor’ (ECA) in the processes of the Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC), particularly as they relate to birth injuries. Using the case of Dr Dickson’s son’s birth injury, the paper presents extracts from an external clinical advisor report to show how a power imbalance can be enacted in ACC decision-making processes. It also demonstrates that the normal checks and balances in the system, particularly those provided by the Health & Disability Commissioner, are bypassed in most cases. Finally, a recommendation is made to potential external clinical advisors to precisely following the standards set by the Medical Council in all cases when writing reports for ACC.

Viewpoint
SUMMARY

The practice of the alcohol industry as health educator: a critique

Nicki Jackson, Rachael Dixon

Alcohol companies are entering New Zealand high schools to deliver one-off sessions to promote ‘responsible drinking’ to students. This paper provides an evidence-based critique of the corporate-led school-based education programme from an alcohol harm reduction and educational perspective. It finds the programme reinforces industry rhetoric, omits key information, is strategically ambiguous and can undermine educational best practice. It is likely to serve to whitewash the image of the alcohol industry, delaying the adoption of effective alcohol policies that would reduce alcohol harm to young people.

Viewpoint
SUMMARY

Inhaled modified angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) as a decoy to mitigate SARS-CoV-2 infection | OPEN ACCESS

Rohan Ameratunga, Klaus Lehnert, Euphemia Leung, Davide Comoletti, Russell Snell, See-Tarn Woon, William Abbott, Emily Mears, Richard Steele, Jeff McKee, Andrew Muscroft-Taylor, Shanthi Ameratunga, Natalie Medlicott, Shyamal Das, William Rolleston, Miguel E Quiñones-Mateu, Helen Petousis-Harris, Anthony Jordan

COVID-19 is a new infection for which there is currently no effective treatment and a safe and effective vaccine is at least a year away. We believe the Achilles heel of the virus is a specific protein in the lungs, ACE2, which is needed for infection. We are manufacturing ACE2 molecules to be inhaled to act as a decoy to reduce viral damage to the lungs. If successful these molecules will reduce the severity of infection and prevent deaths in many vulnerable patients. We are a group of clinicians and scientists from all over New Zealand who are using our expertise in this altruistic project and if successful, we will make our technology freely available.

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