Vascular and Interventional Radiology QLD (VIRQ) was recently awarded the BJUI Global Prize for 2026, for our P-EASY ADVANCE paper. The prize recognises exceptional research conducted by authors outside of the Americas and Europe and acknowledges a significant contribution in terms of article quality potential to impact on practice.
About BJUI
BJU International (BJUI) is a charity for the advancement and improvement of education in urology and related areas and the diffusion of knowledge of new and improved methods of teaching and practising urology. For almost 100 years BJUI have been publishing cutting-edge urological research and reviews in our flagship journal, BJU International. To this day, the journal remains one of the leading publications for urological research globally.
About the P-EASY Advance study
The P-EASY ADVANCE study was a world-first randomised controlled trial comparing the effectiveness of Prostate Artery Embolisation with standard first-line medical therapy in previously untreated patients. The results of this trial demonstrated that PAE was superior to medications in relieving bladder outflow obstruction, reducing lower urinary tract symptoms and improving quality of life. PAE was also better tolerated and had fewer side-effects than the medication group.
P-EASY ADVANCE is the third study in the “P-EASY” program, which is a world-leading collaboration between interventional radiologists, urologists and researchers at I-MED Radiology and the Wesley Hospital that is expanding treatment options for patients and improving outcomes.
Read more about the three VIRQ PAE research studies.
What is Prostate Artery Embolisation
Prostate Artery Embolisation is a minimally invasive operation where the arteries to the prostate are blocked off, causing the prostate to reduce in size, and relieve the lower urinary symptoms (LUTS). An enlarged prostate gland can cause many troublesome symptoms such as frequent urination, urgency, hesitancy, incomplete emptying, dribbling, prolonged urinary or intermittent stream. Prostate artery embolisation can relieve these symptoms without the need for a more invasive operation.
VIRQ a leading researcher
VIRQ Interventional Radiologists have a long history of being involved in leading research, and this award is well-deserved recognition for our radiologists and the entire research group at I-MED Radiology and The Wesley Hospital.