News

Olatec Therapeutics has been awarded a grant from the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (MJFF) to further investigate its lead oral candidate, dapansutrile, in animal models of Parkinson’s disease. Such preclinical work will be conducted in collaboration with researchers at the Medical University of Innsbruck in Austria…

Overproduction of toxic forms of the alpha-synuclein protein — a Parkinson’s disease hallmark — in the vagus nerve, the longest nerve connecting the brain to the intestines and other key organs, disrupts the autonomic nervous system prior to motor symptom onset, a study in a new rat model reported. The…

The sixth annual Parkinson’s Expo, a free and educational conference covering a range of topics related to Parkinson’s disease, is set for Saturday, March 25, in Palmetto, Florida and virtually. Hosted by the Neuro Challenge Foundation and designed with input from the Parkinson’s community, the event is intended to…

Researchers have found a genetic association between Parkinson’s disease and melanoma, a type of skin cancer, and prostate cancer. Data also showed that Parkinson’s genetic risk factors are linked to an increased risk of breast cancer and lower risk of ovarian cancer. “Our results suggest the importance of shared genetic…

Inbrija (levodopa inhalation powder), an approved therapy for off episodes in Parkinson’s patients on certain standard levodopa-based treatments, is now available in Spain. Developed by Acorda Therapeutics, the therapy was approved in the U.S. in 2018 and for the European Union in 2019. In Spain and Germany — where…

The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (MJFF) has awarded a $2.5 million grant to Selonterra to support new therapeutic approaches targeting genetic causes of Parkinson’s disease. “The contribution of genetics to Parkinson’s disease is undisputed,” Anne Urfer-Buchwalder, PhD, co-founder and president of Selonterra, said in…

SteadyScrib, a startup company led by undergraduate students at Northwestern University, is working on a pen-and-clipboard system that can make writing easier for people with Parkinson’s disease. The company hopes to launch its pen sets by this year’s end, and it offers a waitlist for people…

The Parkinson’s Foundation was awarded nearly $800,000 to support research efforts that aim to improve the lives of the estimated 18,000 people living with Parkinson’s disease in Arizona. The focus of the new grant, from the Pat Simone Charitable Foundation, located in Arizona, is to improve genetic testing,…

Levels of a fatty molecule called Bis(monacylglycerol) phosphate, or BMP, are significantly elevated in the urine of people with certain LRRK2 and GBA1 mutations linked to Parkinson’s disease, a new study suggests. Measuring urinary BMP levels could be a useful way of gauging the effectiveness of potential treatments that target…

Probucol, a cholesterol-lowering medication previously used in Western countries, improved motor function and lengthened the lifespan of treated animals in models of Parkinson’s disease, a study found. Identified as a potential Parkinson’s treatment through an artificial intelligence (AI)-based search, probucol was found to promote mitophagy, the cellular pathway that recycles…