Research Articles
Evidence-based research on metabolic health, GLP-1 therapeutics, and peptide science.
TGA Reform Priorities for 2027: Accelerating Access to Medicines for Australians
Australia's Therapeutic Goods Administration faces mounting pressure to modernise its approval pathways, expand biosimilar uptake, close the digital therapeutics regulatory gap, and strengthen post-market surveillance. A policy analysis of the reform agenda for 2027.
Australia's Bulk Billing Crisis: Why Medicare Is Failing and What Needs to Change
Bulk billing rates for GP visits fell from roughly 88% in 2022 to 76% in 2024. A policy analysis of rebate indexation failures, the GP workforce crisis, out-of-pocket cost inequity, and the specific reforms needed to restore universal access to primary care.
Mental Health Medicare Reform in Australia: What's Working, What's Failing, and What Must Change
Australia's Better Access scheme has improved mental health care for many, but the 2023 reversal of 20 subsidised sessions, persistent cost barriers, workforce shortages, and system gaps leave too many people undertreated. A policy analysis of what reform is needed and why.
GLP-1 Medication Shortage in Australia: Policy Failures, Access Inequity, and the Path to Reform
Australia's GLP-1 receptor agonist shortage exposes deep structural failures in medicines policy. This analysis examines the supply crisis, access inequities, the compounding pharmacy debate, and six concrete reforms needed to ensure equitable access to life-changing obesity and diabetes treatments.
Preventive Health Funding in Australia: The Policy Case for Investment
Australia spends roughly 1.8% of total health expenditure on prevention versus the WHO 5% benchmark. A policy analysis of underinvestment, return on investment evidence, and costed reform proposals for 2026 and beyond.
GLP-1 Receptor Agonists: From Type 2 Diabetes to Metabolic Health
Tracing the research history of GLP-1 receptor agonists from their origins in diabetes treatment to their growing role in obesity and metabolic health management.
Triple Receptor Agonism: The Science Behind Retatrutide Research
An in-depth look at retatrutide's GLP-1, GIP, and glucagon receptor co-agonism, the landmark phase 2 trial data, and what triple receptor activation means for metabolic science.
Visceral Fat vs Subcutaneous Fat: Why Location Matters in Research
Not all body fat is equal. This article examines the distinct metabolic activity of visceral and subcutaneous adipose tissue, and why fat distribution — not just total weight — drives disease risk.
The Future of Weight Management: From Lifestyle to Pharmacotherapy
An evidence-based overview of the evolution of obesity treatment — from lifestyle intervention through bariatric surgery to next-generation pharmacotherapy — and what research suggests about long-term metabolic health management.
TGA Regulation of Peptides in Australia: What Patients and Clinicians Need to Know
Australia's Therapeutic Goods Administration classifies peptides under a complex scheduling framework. This guide explains TGA peptide schedules, the March 2025 BPC-157 rescheduling, compounding pharmacy access, and what 'research use' means legally.
Bariatric Surgery Access in Australia: Policy Failures, Equity Gaps, and the Case for Reform
Australia's bariatric surgery system is two-tiered, inequitable, and failing hundreds of thousands of people with severe obesity. A policy analysis of access barriers, public waitlist failures, the economic case for expanded funding, and the role of GLP-1 medications in reshaping the surgical pipeline.
BPC-157 Schedule 4 in Australia: What the TGA Rescheduling Means and What Comes Next
A detailed policy and science analysis of Australia's TGA decision to reschedule BPC-157 to Schedule 4 in March 2025 — regulatory rationale, clinical implications, and the research evidence for this peptide.
The Obesity Crisis in Australia: What the Evidence Tells Us
Australia faces a serious obesity crisis. This article examines the latest prevalence data, economic burden, and why emerging metabolic science is reshaping the research landscape.
Peptide Storage and Stability: What Research Protocols Require
A research-focused guide to peptide stability, lyophilisation, reconstitution, and cold chain management — essential knowledge for maintaining research integrity with peptide compounds.
Medicare and PBS Reform for Obesity Treatment: What Australia Needs to Do
Australia's PBS coverage of obesity medications is inadequate, inequitable, and out of step with the clinical evidence. A policy analysis of the case for expanded PBS listing of GLP-1 receptor agonists and what reform should look like.
Metabolic Syndrome in Australia: The Policy Gap Between Evidence and Action
Australia's metabolic syndrome burden is large, growing, and poorly addressed by current Medicare and public health policy. An evidence-based analysis of the gap between what the research shows and what the health system delivers.
Tirzepatide Research: The Dual GIP/GLP-1 Agonist Explained
A research-focused overview of tirzepatide's dual GIP and GLP-1 receptor mechanism, SURMOUNT trial data, and why dual agonism produces superior outcomes to single-receptor therapies.
Metabolic Syndrome: Understanding the Cluster of Conditions
A research-focused overview of metabolic syndrome — its diagnostic criteria, prevalence in Australia, and emerging evidence on peptide-based interventions targeting multiple components simultaneously.