News

Parkinson’s Foundation Distributes $2M in Community Grant Programs

Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients in 42 states stand to benefit from $2 million in community grants the Parkinson’s Foundation has distributed this year to support a variety of health, wellness, and educational programs. “Investing in community-based organizations allows the foundation to direct resources to meaningful PD programs and…

Kyowa Kirin Stops KW-6356 Program Despite Promising Results

Kyowa Kirin has discontinued the clinical development of its investigational treatment, KW-6356, for Parkinson’s disease, despite Phase 2 clinical trial data showing promising results as a monotherapy or in combination with levodopa. The decision was based on the “global regulatory landscape, development hurdles, and timelines for potential market…

Gut Microbiome of Parkinson’s and Healthy Twins Largely Similar

Among pairs of genetically identical twins, one with Parkinson’s disease and the other twin without it, minimal variation is evident in the makeup of bacteria living in the digestive tract, according to a new study. This finding highlights the role of person-to-person variability in influencing the gut microbiome, which researchers…

New Method Detects Degeneration in Brain Region Key to Movement

Scientists have developed a new technique that can detect Parkinson’s disease-related degeneration in a part of the brain, called the striatum, that’s key to movement. This type of analysis — which can be done for individuals with early-stage Parkinson’s — will allow researchers to distinguish different subgroups within this…

Moderate Alcohol Consumption May Cause Cognitive Decline

Drinking more than three beers or about three large glasses of wine per week is associated significantly with higher iron levels in several brain regions, which is linked to worse cognitive function. That’s according to a study from the United Kingdom involving nearly 21,000 people — likely representing the largest…

Datavant, Parkinson’s Foundation Forge Research Partnership

Datavant and the Parkinson’s Foundation are collaborating to enhance Parkinson’s disease (PD) patient registries and promote involvement in healthcare industry-sponsored research, with the broader goal of driving insights into the progressive neurodegenerative disease. Datavant seeks to improve industry-wide data sharing through technology that protects patients’ privacy while linking patient…