MJFF renames study Parkinson’s Precision Medicine Initiative

The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (MJFF) changed the name of its large, observational study of Parkinson’s disease patients from the Parkinson’s Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI) to the Parkinson’s Precision Medicine Initiative, reflecting a major shift in Parkinson’s disease research.

The foundation said the name change reflects how the study has morphed “from a bold effort to identify biomarkers to a global biorepository helping define Parkinson’s by biology, identify it earlier and build more targeted approaches to treatment.”

“This is not just a new name, it reflects a real change in what Parkinson’s research can achieve on behalf of people and families living with the disease,” Sohini Chowdhury, chief program officer of MJFF, said in a foundation press release. “We’re moving toward a future where we can define disease by biology, identify it earlier and build more targeted treatments.”

Since its launch in 2010, the PPMI observational study (NCT04477785) has collected clinical and biological data from thousands of participants living with Parkinson’s, those with risk factors for the disease, and healthy volunteers. The goal is to help scientists understand how Parkinson’s manifests and progresses, and to identify areas for intervention.

Researchers now acknowledge that Parkinson’s is not a single disease, but one with many subtypes with distinct underlying causes. This is shifting Parkinson’s research toward precision medicine, where treatments are tailored to each patient’s unique biology, rather than the one-size-fits-all model that currently shapes Parkinson’s treatment.

Recommended Reading

March 25, 2026 Columns by Doc Irish

When it comes to Parkinson’s, hope is not a plan, but urgent action is

Initiative helps advance research

Research conducted as part of the PPMI has led to scientific advances, including the validation of the alpha-synuclein seed amplification assay, a test to detect Parkinson’s disease. The test, which uses PPMI samples, was shown to detect Parkinson’s with high accuracy, allowing researchers to diagnose Parkinson’s even before hallmark symptoms appear, as well as track disease progression and measure the impact of new therapies.

The PPMI also assisted in the development of advanced brain imaging tracers to visualize cellular changes in the living brain, helping to monitor therapeutic impact, and has helped validate smell loss and REM Sleep Behavior Disorder (the acting out of dreams while sleeping) as early signs of Parkinson’s.

PPMI data have supported research into therapies targeting alpha-synuclein, LRRK2, and GBA mutations commonly associated with Parkinson’s. More than 75 potential disease-modifying therapies now in clinical development may slow or stop the disease course.

A recent special issue from the Annals of Neurology, “From Parkinson’s Progression Markers Initiative to Parkinson’s Precision Medicine Initiative: Still PPMI,” captures how 15 years of PPMI data and methods have supported advances in the field. The supplement includes an introduction by Michael J. Fox highlighting the vision behind PPMI and the progress driven by participants, researchers, and partners worldwide.

“PPMI has helped build the foundation for how we now define Parkinson’s by biology and design studies around that understanding,” said Penn Medicine neurologist Thomas F. Tropea, lead author of the special issue and a PPMI investigator. “This is a critical step toward developing more targeted and effective therapies.”