Academic–industry partnership wins award for clinical research excellence

An academic-industry collaboration between the Victorian Heart Institute at Monash University and NewAmsterdam Pharma has earned international acclaim, taking out the Clinical Partnership of the Year – Non-CRO at the 2025 Citeline Awards.

The award recognises excellence in clinical trial collaboration, and this partnership stood out for its work on obicetrapib, a next-generation cholesterol-lowering therapy. The BROADWAY and TANDEM trials, which formed the backbone of the research, were hailed for their scientific rigour and impact on one of the world’s most pressing health issues – cardiovascular disease.

The Phase 3 trials demonstrated that obicetrapib, an oral cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) inhibitor, significantly lowers LDL cholesterol and lipoprotein(a), both major risk factors for heart disease. For the millions of patients who do not respond fully to existing therapies, this research offers new hope.

At the helm of the clinical program was Professor Stephen Nicholls, Director of the Monash Victorian Heart Institute and Program Director of the Victorian Heart Hospital.

“This award is testament to what’s possible when academia and industry collaborate successfully,” said Professor Nicholls.

“We brought our scientific independence and clinical expertise, NewAmsterdam brought a clear vision and enabled the process. Together, we’ve delivered research that not only stands up to scrutiny but has the potential to change patient care worldwide.”

Douglas Kling, Chief Operating Officer of NewAmsterdam Pharma, underscored the strength of the relationship between the two organisations.

“You will find no better organisation to partner with if you are doing a global clinical trial,” he said. “We called up Steve [Nicholls] immediately to form the partnership and we have not looked back. We have recruited over 12,000 patients in 23 countries. They [the Monash team] have helped us identify the sites, write the protocol — they could not have done that without trust.”

The achievement highlights how strategic alignment and mutual respect between academia and industry can accelerate innovation in patient care, without compromising on scientific standards.

Professor Robyn Ward AM, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Enterprise) and Senior Vice-President at Monash University, in addition to being the Chair of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC), said the award was a reflection of Monash’s broader commitment to global health innovation.

“This award highlights Monash’s excellence in guiding vital clinical trial innovation at an international scale. We have a significant history of close collaboration with health and innovation hubs in the United States and it’s wonderful to see this recognised,” she said.

“Our partnership has also shown excellence in academic-industry collaboration and delivered world-class clinical research with potential to help millions of people.”

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