St Andrew’s Hospital · Adelaide, South Australia
Hospital-integrated research at St Andrew’s Hospital, Adelaide. Precision pre-screening, high compliance through to end of study, and inspection-ready data for US, EU, UK and Asian sponsors — including dry eye, ophthalmology, allergy, immunology and dermatology.
Sponsors from
100+ Phase I, II, & III trials delivered
Why sponsors choose DECENTRA
A statewide, multi-indication database and referral network lets us match eligibility before first visit. That lowers screen-failure rates and shortens time to first patient in — the factor that most often protects a sponsor timeline.
Investigators who manage full patient care produce cleaner source, more accurate causality and fewer queries. Operations are structured for GCP, audit and inspection — not visit snapshots.
Practising specialists and key opinion leaders with dual clinician–researcher roles, not a name on a form. Sub-investigators and coordinators on campus so the protocol does not depend on a single physician.
Evidence-based feasibility from a live statewide database, with mutual-acceptance HREC experience and, for eligible sponsors, Australia’s 43% R&D tax rebate. No protocol is reviewed until a confidentiality agreement is in place.
94% retention in a 180-patient Phase III dry eye study. The same cohort is primed for extension studies, preserving continuity of care, source data and investigator oversight.
Bellberry and other mutual-acceptance pathways, with efficient responses to ethics comments. Ethics is treated as a start-up clock, not a bottleneck.
Overnight and long-stay beds, ICU/HDU, infusions, −80 °C storage, on-site pharmacy, laboratory and radiology. Dedicated monitoring workspace, campus parking and amenities for CRAs — capacity most standalone sites cannot match.
DECENTRA supports decentralised and hybrid protocols: telehealth, home visits where clinically appropriate, and a database that includes regional and rural patients. Useful for elderly or mobility-limited participants, and for diversity requirements from US and EU regulators.
About
DECENTRA is an Australian clinical trial site for patient studies, based at St Andrew’s Hospital in Adelaide. Investigators and research staff work inside a full acute-care campus, so protocols that need washout, overnight observation, escalation or long-stay care can be run with hospital-level safety.
A proprietary statewide patient database covers urban, regional and remote South Australia. Precision pre-screening against protocol criteria reduces screen failures and presents sponsors with eligible, motivated participants — and a site that is ready for extension studies.
We support HREC submissions and address questions to support accelerated approval, welcome site inspections and audits, and are structured for mutual-acceptance HREC pathways and rapid trial start-up.
The site regularly partners with international sponsors across multiple regulatory jurisdictions, including the United States, Europe, the United Kingdom and Asia-Pacific. We also collaborate with Australian biotechnology companies and local research organisations, with capability across dry eye disease, ophthalmology, allergy, immunology, dermatology, respiratory, endocrine and metabolic disease, chronic illness and other Phase I, II, & III indications.
100+
Phase I, II, & III trials delivered
570
DED patients ready to pre-screen
43%
Australian R&D tax rebate
24/7
Hospital medical support
Leadership and site capability
Led by Dr Paul Wabnitz, MD, PhD, FRACP, our site operates under the strict medical governance of an experienced Principal Investigator and Site Medical Director. He brings decades of drug development, pharmaceutical industry experience and clinical specialist leadership, ensuring every study is conducted with precision, integrity and uncompromising patient safety.
What truly distinguishes the site is access to a large, multi-indication patient database. While other sites rely on passive advertising and slow recruitment cycles, we actively match eligibility criteria against our network. Eligible candidates can be identified and pre-screened before first visit, which shortens start-up and protects screen-failure rates. Oversight stays with clinicians who manage full patient care — screening, dosing, escalation, overnight observation and extension studies included.
A large, diverse network across urban, regional and remote South Australia. Fast-track identification of eligible participants and fewer recruitment delays.
Investigators who are practising specialists and experienced trial physicians, supported by coordinators, nurses, on-campus pharmacy, temperature-controlled storage and laboratory.
Operations sit inside a full acute-care hospital. That means true medical control, 24/7 specialist support, and the ability to run protocols that need washout, overnight observation, escalation or long-stay care — under GCP systems that protect patient safety and data integrity.
The result for sponsors is clear: accelerated enrolment, higher-quality data, and more predictable study performance.
Detailed investigator profiles, publication histories and specific therapeutic expertise are available on request after an introductory discussion and a Confidential Disclosure Agreement (CDA).
Capabilities
Investigational product storage, compounding and temperature-controlled IMP handling under GCP, on the same campus as the patients.
HREC submissions, responses to comments and protocol optimisation. Mutual-acceptance pathway and fast first-in-human Phase I start-up.
Evidence-based feasibility from a live statewide database, with hospital-integrated start-up and mutual-acceptance HREC experience.
Precision pre-screening against inclusion and exclusion criteria. Lower screen failure, higher motivation, and enrolment that holds through to end of study.
Full radiology suite as part of the clinical site: CT, X-ray, ultrasound, MRI (NMR) and interventional radiology — so imaging endpoints stay on site.
Laboratory, GCP-compliant rooms, monitoring spaces, inpatient beds, overnight and long-stay capability, plus ICU/HDU access and 24/7 medical support — complete trial support in one location.
Hospital infrastructure & clinical capabilities
On-site pharmacy
Secure dispensing and IMP management under GCP-controlled conditions.
GCP-compliant climate-controlled rooms
Temperature-monitored and logged to regulatory standards.
Advanced clinical technology
Modern diagnostic and monitoring equipment supporting complex assessments.
On-site laboratory
Rapid sample processing, reducing turnaround times and preserving sample integrity.
Outpatient studies
Purpose-built clinical spaces designed for trial-specific workflows.
On-site radiology
CT, X-ray, ultrasound, MRI (NMR) and interventional radiology as part of the clinical site.
Inpatient, overnight and long-stay capacity
Extended observation and complex protocol requirements managed safely on site.
ICU / HDU access
Immediate escalation pathway for high-risk or first-in-human studies.
True 24/7 medical support
Continuous specialist availability throughout the duration of patient stays.
Specialist-led recruitment, dosing and escalation
Specialist oversight at every critical stage of the patient journey.
Experienced investigators and study coordinators
A seasoned research team delivering rigorous protocol execution and high-quality data.
Featured cohort
570 active patients ready for pre-screening. Dedicated ocular imaging suite, tear-film and corneal endpoints, and a proven Phase I, II, & III enrolment record.
Therapeutic areas
For sponsors and CROs
Australia offers a mature regulator (TGA), mutual-acceptance HREC pathways, fast first-in-human (FIH) Phase I start-up, English-language source data, and a 43% R&D tax rebate for eligible sponsors. DECENTRA adds several advantages on top of the national framework:
Dry eye disease and ophthalmology form a core strength, supported by a large, well-characterised patient cohort available for rapid pre-screening. Additional capabilities include:
Yes. DECENTRA is a hospital-integrated clinical research centre based at St Andrew’s Hospital in Adelaide, South Australia. We conduct Phase I, II, & III (and selected Phase IV) patient studies for sponsors and CROs from the USA, EU, UK, China, Korea and Australia. The site supports outpatient, overnight and long-stay protocols under full hospital medical oversight.
Our site operates under the strict medical governance of an experienced Principal Investigator and Site Medical Director. Dr Paul Wabnitz, MD, PhD, FRACP brings decades of drug development, pharmaceutical industry experience and clinical specialist leadership, so every study is run with hospital-level precision and integrity. We address a persistent industry challenge: finding the right patients, quickly. The site’s value sits on three pillars — a specialist network of practising specialists and key opinion leaders with deep trial experience (not a GP-only model); a proprietary, multi-indication patient database that identifies eligible candidates rapidly and reduces screen-failure rates; and hospital-grade infrastructure that anchors medical control, safety and data integrity.
Do not send a full protocol until a Confidential Disclosure Agreement (CDA) is in place.
Request a feasibility assessment
After a confidentiality agreement is executed, we provide an accurate patient feasibility assessment informed by our extensive statewide database, matched to your eligibility criteria and indication.
We also offer complimentary expert guidance on study design, protocol feedback, patient numbers, and HREC requirements — helping you launch faster and avoid costly delays.