Professor Thomas Borody, Medical Director & CDD Founder, Centre for Digestive Diseases

Digestive disorders are debilitating,costly and increasingly on the rise around the world. In fact, according to a worldwide study conducted by the University of Gothenburg scientists, four out often adults, suffer from functional gastrointestinal disorders of varying severity. With the prevalence of many digestive disorders highest amongst the very young and the elderly, the disease burden will inevitably increase as the population ages. Thus, to tackle these challenges and significantly contribute to the process of improving healthcare, many leading healthcare organizations  adapt a dynamic approach thrusting them to the forefront of medicine research. One prominent name among these is the Centre for Digestive Diseases (CDD). Under the leadership of founder and Medical Director, Professor Thomas Borody, CDD has distinguished itself as a unique medical institution offering novel approaches in the diagnosis and treatment of gastrointestinal (GI) conditions.

The Centre of Excellence in Gastroenterology

The Centre for Digestive Diseases (CDD) first opened its doors in 1984. It began its journey with a humble 3 person crew that has since grown substantially. Today, it has almost 50 people and 138,000 patients on its books. Over the years, CDD has evolved into a trailblazing clinic that not only provides exemplary clinical care and services for patients but is also a renowned research facility leading the way to new and innovative therapies and medical devices. CDD is recognised as an all-in-one facility where research intervention is developed in-house, taken through clinical trials and licensed out to become available to patients worldwide as TGA FDA and EMA approved products. Key amongst these achievements is the Triple Therapy cure for peptic ulcers and the eradication of resistant Helicobacter pylori, a bacterium that causes ulcers and stomach cancer. “It has been shown that widespread use of these drug protocols for H.pylori has not only saved an estimated 10.1 billion dollars in health care costs but most importantly 18,655 lives within Australia alone (THEMA report). With these treatments having spread worldwide, CDD is proud to claim that we have substantially contributed to human wellbeing on the international stage,” elucidates Prof Borody.

Leveraging the knowledge it gained from working with its H.pylori treatments, CDD has pioneered the development of new treatments such as Anti-Mycobacterial Antibiotic Therapy (AMAT) for targeting intracellular infection in Crohn’s disease and Fecal Microbiota Transplantation (FMT) for treatment of Clostridium difficile, Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) and Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). Most recently CDD also delved into the COVID-19 pandemic fight by developing an intracellular-acting, anti-viral combination therapy. In addition, CDD  developed the Oxyguard^TM, and Twinguard^TM, innovative all-in-one oxygen delivery and monitoring devices that have contributed to making endoscopic procedures safer.

Offering Novel, Research Based Personalised Treatment 

CDD’s core competency lies in its innovative thinking. With its clinical services and advanced research facilities co-located on-site, it is uniquely positioned to challenge conventional treatment paradigms with outstanding results. The dedicated staff at CDD understand the personal difficulties associated with gastrointestinal-related disorders. Thus, at CDD, there is a patient-centered focus on unique treatments and therapies delivered with care and compassion. The Team strives to establish meaningful relationships with its patients, tailoring treatment plans to patient needs and delivering excellent clinical outcomes whilst maintaining strict standards of privacy and confidentiality. “The majority of our patients present with challenging conditions having exhausted all standard options available to them without any favorable outcome. Our ethos poses the question—‘How can we solve this problem which others have failed to solve? ’We achieve this through individualized, novel research-based personalized treatment plans,” asserts Prof Borody. 

Committed To Providing an Exceptional Standard of Care

The success of CDD lies in its ability to innovate but what really differentiates the organization is its unwavering commitment to providing its patients with the best possible clinical experience and outcome. Alongside Prof Borody, Vic Dawson, CDD’s strategy director has furthered CDD’s vision into becoming the pinnacle in both advanced clinical care and exemplary service. “We take pride in our facilities and personnel who draw upon our key pillars of advanced treatments, research, and leadership to provide excellence in every aspect of care. We have worked tirelessly to build CDD from our humble roots to become the largest Gastroenterology clinic in Australia,” affirms Prof Borody.

Today, because of its size, cutting-edge approach, in-house trials, and reputation for excellence, the Centre for Digestive Diseases, remains prominently at the top when compared to other hospitals in Australia. CDD’s novel technology and advanced therapies, its research edge which allows it to offer patient -specific treatments, and its investment in its people who are highly trained leaders in the field allow CDD to consistently achieve brilliance. This enduring reason is why CDD continues to attract international attention  from both medical professionals and patients.

Aspires to Be at the Frontier of Clinical Microbiome Space

Moving ahead, CDD endeavours to be the future of the clinical microbiome space with its focus on research and the practical clinical applications this can have. Specifically, it is eager to play a bigger role in the diagnosis, management, and treatment of chronic infectious diseases in the GI space and is intensely focused on repairing the altered, damaged, or infected microbiome of the gut. “We continue to be at the frontier of the clinical microbiome space, using advanced sequencing technology to analyze and understand the gut microbiome of our patients at a depth that can make a tangible difference to their health and wellbeing,” concludes Prof Borody.

With Vic Dawson, CDD Strategy Director spearheading CDD’s GMP Laboratory, CDD will soon be able to offer TGA approved, Restoba^TM FMT products to Gastroenterologists throughout Australia. Reminiscent of the Triple Therapy Achievement, this important development in the micobiome space will no doubt have far reaching effects, significantly contributing to restoration of patient health not only at CDD but also, nationally.