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Editorial

Heart Foundation Research Beats Stronger than EverBefore with Help from Our Industry Partners!

Sarah Shaw ∗

Research Development Coordinator, National Heart Foundation of Australia, 411 King Street, West Melbourne, Vic. 3003, Australia

Available online 18 April 2005

Heart Foundation Research

For over 45 years the Heart Foundation has played a vitalrole in funding research into the causes, treatment andprevention of heart disease and stroke. Over this time,we have invested more than $160 million in lifesaving re-search, and are recognised as the largest non-governmentfunder of research in Australia.Each year the Heart Foundation funds over 60 new

research awards in biomedical, clinical and public healthresearch. Independent analysis shows that Heart Founda-tion research has achieved an outstanding performance

heart, stroke and blood vessel disease in Australia. This isaccomplished by providing funding as well as a forum todiscuss cardiovascular health initiatives ofmutual interestand by working to keep cardiovascular health issues highon the national agenda.Members of the Pharmaceutical Roundtable may not

contribute to or influence the Heart Foundation’s in-dependent research peer review system or evidence-based guideline development process. The Pharmaceuti-calRoundtable is committed todevelopingandsupportingprograms which are beyond specific commercial interest

in terms of knowledge impact by world and Australianstandards. This is consistent with the much greatervisibility of Heart Foundation funded publications permillion dollars expended on cardiovascular researchthan NHMRC-funded publications in internationalpeer-reviewed journals.The Heart Foundation receives no government funding

for research, but supports this valuable contribution to thehealth ofAustralians primarily fromdonations and contri-butions. Crucial to theHeart Foundation’s commitment tosupport biomedical, clinical and public health cardiovas-cular researchare thepartnershipswehave forgedwith in-dustry partners, in particular thepharmaceutical industry.

and focused onmaintaining and strengthening the overallmission of the Heart Foundation in its service to society.The diagram below illustrates how the Heart Founda-

tion Pharmaceutical Roundtable is working to achievebenefits for themember companies, theHeart Foundationand most importantly, the community.The Roundtable’s unique ability to provide this win-

win-win situation is evident from the key achievementsof the partnership. These include:

• Funding of an outstanding $1.71 million of Heart Foun-dation research to date, through its support of 12 NHFAFellows, Scholars and the Chair of Cardiac Nursing

• Sponsorship of the Rural Health Education Founda-tionWeb Broadcast on Heart Foundation Hypertension

The Heart Foundation Pharmaceutical Roundtable

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Guidelines (November 2004)

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he Heart Foundation Pharmaceutical Roundtable, facil-tated by the Pharmaceutical Roundtable Charter, bringsogether theHeart Foundation and the pharmaceutical in-ustry to address the cardiovascular health of Australians.The mission of the Pharmaceutical Roundtable andts current member companies; Merck, Sharp & Dohme,fizer, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Servier, Roche, AstraZenecand Alphapharm, is to reduce suffering and death from

Tel.: +61 3 9321 1545; fax: +61 3 9321 1585.-mail address: sarah.shaw@heartfoundation.com.au.

2004 Australasian Society of Cardiac and Thoracic Surgeustralia and New Zealand. Published by Elsevier Inc. Al

The Pharmaceutical Roundtable has further strength-ned theabilityof theHeart Foundationandmember com-anies to respond to challenges imposed by the currentealth, social and economic climate. It is through partner-hips such as this that the Heart Foundation can continueo provide major advances in knowledge that will lead tomproved cardiovascular health andbetter preventionandanagement of cardiovascular disorders.

and the Cardiac Society ofts reserved.

1443-9506/04/$30.00doi:10.1016/j.hlc.2004.09.011

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68 Editorial Heart Lung and Circulation2005;14:67–68