The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research announced awards totaling approximately $10.1 million for five new clinical studies and 14 pre-clinical therapeutic development projects. The funding includes $2.5 million to drive four new clinical trials under the Clinical Intervention Awards, one of the Foundation's Edmond J. Safra Core Programs for PD Research.
Grantees under the 2010 Clinical Intervention Awards are:
Two separate awardees will independently work on novel formulations of levodopa designed to create an easier treatment regimen for patients while also lessening the complications and symptoms of PD that are believed to be exacerbated by extreme fluctuations in blood levels of levodopa:
For information on the 15 pre-clinical therapeutic development projects receiving awards totaling $2 million, please visit PD Online Research.
In addition to today's announcement, the Foundation recently launched the Parkinson's Progression Markers Initiative, a landmark clinical study seeking biomarkers of Parkinson's disease. The Foundation has committed $8.6 million to PPMI to date.
About The Michael J. Fox Foundation
The Michael J. Fox Foundation is dedicated to finding a cure for Parkinson's disease through an aggressively funded research agenda and to ensuring the development of improved therapies for those living with Parkinson's today. The Foundation has funded over $205 million in research to date.
About The Edmond J. Safra Core Programs for PD Research
MJFF's Edmond J. Safra Core Programs for PD Research are three annual funding initiatives designed to keep the drug development pipeline for Parkinson's disease flowing with novel, high-impact ideas promising tangible improvements in patients' quality of life sooner rather than later.