News

To help mark Parkinson’s Awareness Month, members of the Michael J. Fox Foundation’s (MJFF) public policy team persuaded 17 local governments to issue proclamations and resolutions recognizing the annual event that brings Parkinson’s disease to greater attention. Team members engaged legislators in their local areas, arguing in favor of the city,…

PolyCore Therapeutics has secured a seed investment to advance its lead compound PCT-3012, designed to treat motor symptoms in Parkinson’s disease without triggering levodopa-induced dyskinesia, or uncontrollable body movements. The investment, by Xontogeny and Ben Franklin Technology Partners, will enable studies supporting a potential…

Telehealth services during the COVID-19 pandemic was perceived to be a good alternative to in-person healthcare appointments among people with Parkinson’s disease, according to an anonymous survey. Respondents said telehealth reduced travel, was more convenient, was suitable for follow-up appointments, and was preferred for speech-language pathology and mental health…

Neuropore Therapies has received a $4.8 million grant from the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (MJFF) to develop a small molecule that will block the activation of a protein receptor, called toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2), that fuels inflammation in people with Parkinson’s disease. The grant will support…

The QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute has launched the Australian Parkinson’s Genetics Study (APGS), a large-scale research endeavor to identify genetic factors that influence the risk of developing Parkinson’s disease. APGS aims to enroll 10,000 Australian residents, men or women ages 30 and older, who have been diagnosed…

Parkinson’s patients who have more severe motor symptoms are more likely to derive a benefit from high-cadence dynamic cycling, an analysis of two cycling studies indicates. Findings were in the study “Body Mass Index and Exercise Effort Influences Changes in Motor Symptoms After High-Cadence Dynamic Cycling in…

A £500,000 ($650,000) investment by the National Health Service of England will expand a clinical trial in that country of the Personal KinetiGraph, or PKG smartwatch, a wrist-worn device that can detect abnormal movements in people with Parkinson’s disease. PKG, developed by Global Kinetics and approved by the U.S. Food…

Lucy Therapeutics (LucyTx) has received a $4.9 million, two-year grant from the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (MJFF) to advance work in the company’s mitochondrial platform that could lead to new Parkinson’s disease treatments. The award includes access to a network of MJFF staff and relevant foundation…

Electrical implants in the spine can clear up feelings of lightheadedness upon standing — the result of a condition called orthostatic hypotension — in people with neurological disorders like Parkinson’s disease, new research shows. Orthostatic hypotension refers to a sudden drop in blood pressure when a person moves from…

Diabetes and high blood sugar were associated with elevated levels of neurofilament light (NfL) — a biomarker of nerve cell damage — and worse cognitive function among people with Parkinson’s disease, according to a recent study. “Our study is the first to show that diabetes and [a measure of…