A QUEENSLAND medical research scientist who made a breakthrough skin cancer treatment is the Southern Downs’ Australia Day Ambassador.
Dr Jim Aylward will attend both the Warwick and Stanthorpe celebrations on 26 January as a guest speaker of the Woolworths Ambassador Program.
Acting Mayor Cr Ross Bartley said Dr Aylward had made a remarkable discovery after observing his mother using the milky sap from Euphorbia peplus to treat her sun spots.
“This plant is just a weed, introduced to Australia from Europe. Dr Aylward decided it was worth researching and approached the Queensland Institute of Medical Research in 1997 with the sap,” Cr Bartley said.
“In a decade-long collaboration with QIMR scientists, Dr Aylward isolated and patented the active principle, formed his company, Peplin, and pursued clinical development. The result is Picato – a prescription-only sun spot gel, arguably Australia’s first ever cancer therapeutic drug.”
Cr Bartley said the discovery has the potential to help the 434,000 people who are treated for non-melanoma skin cancers each year, and could help save the lives of many of the hundreds of Australians who die each year.
“The discovery may also drastically reduce the need for surgery in many skin cancer cases – cutting hospital waiting lists as a result. After Peplin was sold to a Danish pharmaceutical company in 2009, Dr Aylward now advises biotechnology startups in a mentoring capacity,” he said.
Cr Bartley said Dr Aylward’s story was inspirational and would be an important part of official proceedings during Australia Day awards ceremonies at Warwick and Stanthorpe.
“Dr Aylward looks forward to meeting our Australia Day award recipients and community members during his visit,” he said.
SIDEBAR
Australia Day celebrations for Stanthorpe will begin at 2pm at Weeroona Park. There will be musical entertainment, barbecue, flag-raising, citizenship ceremony and the Australia Day awards ceremony.
Celebrations for Warwick will begin at 4pm at Queen’s Park. As many residents may remember the celebrations had been moved to Victoria Park in previous wet years but it is anticipated there will be fine weather on 26 January.
There is a jam-packed program of entertainment at Warwick with face-painting, food stalls, music, citizenship ceremony, Australia Day awards ceremony and the grand finale of the spectacular fireworks display.
