MRINZ is committed to enhancing the evidence base for natural therapies and over the counter medication. One key study has been a comparison of medical grade kanuka with aciclovir for treating cold sores, the latter being the current gold standard treatment for this common condition. This was one of the largest studies of cold sores ever undertaken, facilitated by the Pharmacy Research Network we developed: a 70 pharmacy collaboration with central support from the Pharmacy Guild of New Zealand. The PRN was launched at Bio-Europe 2017 and began four further funded studies the following year. The network has expanded to collaborate with Australia’s National Institute of Complementary Medicines (NICM) with a view to an Australian New Zealand centre of excellence in the sector moving forward.