Van Andel Institute and Cure Parkinson's Extend Major Initiative to Test Parkinson's Drugs

Van Andel Institute and Cure Parkinson's Extend Major Initiative to Test Parkinson's Drugs

The Van Andel Institute and Cure Parkinson’s have renewed a funding agreement to support the International Linked Clinical Trials Program, the world’s largest clinical trial repurposing initiative for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease.

Under the three-year agreement, VAI and Cure Parkinson’s will each commit $750,000 per year to the program. The two organizations also agree to jointly raise funds to further support Parkinson's clinical trials.

Together with Cure Parkinson’s, we are pleased to reaffirm our long-standing support of the International Linked Clinical Trials Program. Our renewed agreement will enable the program to continue searching for promising new therapies with the goal of finding much-needed ways to prevent disease progression and improve quality of life.”

Darren Moore, Ph.D., Jay Van Andel Endowed Chair in Parkinson's Research at VAI and member of the International Linked Clinical Trials Scientific Committee

“Cure Parkinson’s and the Van Andel Institute are pleased and proud to extend our funding partnership for a further three years, after successfully working together since 2014,” said Helen Matthews, CEO of Cure Parkinson’s. "This new aligned funding agreement will provide between $1,500,000 and $1,750,000 each year for disease-modifying Parkinson's research. The funding will support clinical trials and related projects as part of the International Linked Clinical Trials initiative, our thriving global program aimed at developing new treatments to slow, stop or reverse Parkinson's."

An estimated 10 million people worldwide suffer from Parkinson's disease, a number that is expected to increase in the coming years as the population ages. Although there are treatments to relieve symptoms, there are currently no approved methods to slow or stop the progression of the disease.

The International Linked Clinical Trials Program aims to change this by supporting and facilitating clinical trials that evaluate potentially disease-modifying treatments for Parkinson's. Many of the drugs included in the trials are “repurposed,” meaning they were originally developed or approved to treat other diseases. This approach can save time and resources because candidate drugs have already passed rigorous safety and effectiveness testing.

Medications are reviewed and prioritized by the program's scientific committee, made up of Parkinson's researchers, medical professionals and advocates. Approximately 40% of drugs being researched as disease-modifying treatments for Parkinson's have been prioritized for clinical trials by the International Linked Clinical Trials Program.

To date, more than 6,800 people with Parkinson's have participated in a study conducted in conjunction with International Linked Clinical Trials. Of the 47 studies launched since the program began, 19 are ongoing and 28 have been completed. VAI funds supported 10 of these studies.

Sources: