Prof. John McNeil teams up with US research team on ASPREE project

Monash's Professor McNeil and his research team have attracted over $25 million from the National Institute on Ageing in the US, for the largest prevention trial ever undertaken in Australia.

The ASPREE – ASPirin in Reducing Events in the Elderly – project will be led by Professor McNeil in Australia and Professor Richard Grimm of the Berman Center for Outcomes and Clinical Research in the USA.

19,000 healthy men and women in the USA and Australia will be involved in the five year trial to find out whether low-dose aspirin prolongs healthy life in those 70 years and older. 12,500 research participants will be recruited in Australia.

The total grant provided across both countries is US$50.45m.

Preliminary funding of $3.5m for the trial was provided by the Australian government, through the NHMRC, with additional support from Victorian Cancer Agency, National Heart Foundation of Australia, Alfred Hospital Research Fund and Bayer Health Care.

The 2005 NHMRC Project Grant paid for development of the research protocol, trial of study procedures and initial recruitment. This work and the support provided by the partner organisations was essential to the success in gaining US funding.

"It is fantastic to see our top researchers working collaboratively with leading American research teams on research that has the potential to significantly improve the health of older Australians," Halina Oswald, Director of the MRO, said.