Research Roundup: Recruiting Studies to Improve Parkinson’s Symptoms and Slow Disease Progression

Join The Michael J. Fox Foundation's mission to discover better treatments and, ultimately, a cure for Parkinson's disease. Whether you have Parkinson's or not, participating in research is a powerful way to contribute to these efforts. In this research roundup blog, we highlight MJFF-funded and partner studies currently seeking volunteers. Some of these studies focus on treating motor symptoms and slowing disease progression, while others involve long-term participant observation to deepen our understanding of the disease.

Explore the links to find out how you can get involved in each study, and please share this information with your networks.

• Landmark Study Enrolling Anyone Aged 18+: MJFF's landmark study, the Parkinson's Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI), is recruiting volunteers with and without PD. The study is exploring how brain disease starts and changes in people of all backgrounds. PPMI is open to anyone over age 18 - with and without Parkinson's - in the U.S. Learn more and join the study that's changing everything. Smell loss can be an early sign of Parkinson's risk. PPMI is also offering free smell tests to anyone age 60 and up without Parkinson's. Request a free scratch-and-sniff test today and contribute to important research at mysmelltest.org/mjff.

• A Study to Improve Parkinson's Symptoms: The ARISE study is evaluating the effectiveness of a drug to treat a novel receptor found in the brain. This receptor is part of a brain circuit responsible for motor and non-motor symptoms associated with PD. Sponsored by Cerevance, the study aims to develop a new oral treatment that may improve Parkinson's symptoms with less side effects than currently available treatments. The study is enrolling people ages 30+ with PD motor complications and on current Levodopa medications. Read more about the study and find out if you are eligible to participate.

• A Study to Slow Disease Progression: The NEULARK Trial, sponsored by Neuron23, is testing a once-daily oral drug called NEU-411. This trial will test whether NEU-411 can slow disease progression in a newly defined population of people with Parkinson's disease called LRRK2-driven Parkinson's. It is found in people with a specific genetic profile, which can be identified with a blood test. The study is recruiting people between the age of 50 to 80 who have been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease and have not yet taken dopamine medications. Please visit http://neulark.com for more information.

• Karen Wu

  Specialist, Science Communications