Certainly! Here is a comprehensive, well-sourced answer to your question about patient groups, academic/research groups, and companies developing drugs for Parkinson’s disease. Each entry includes a summary and a direct source link.
1. Patient groups:
- Parkinson’s Foundation: One of the largest U.S. organizations, providing support, education, advocacy, and funding for research. They have local chapters and support groups nationwide.
https://www.parkinson.org/resources-support/find-your-chapter - American Parkinson Disease Association (APDA): A nationwide grassroots network offering support, education, and research funding. APDA has invested over $313 million in research and support since 1961.
https://www.apdaparkinson.org/community/ - Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research: Focuses on funding research to find a cure and improve therapies for those living with Parkinson’s. Also provides advocacy resources and support.
https://www.michaeljfox.org/advocacy-resources - Parkinson’s Europe (formerly European Parkinson’s Disease Association): Advocates for the rights and needs of patients and their families across Europe.
https://parkinsonseurope.org/how-we-work/advocacy/ - Partners in Parkinson’s: Connects patients and caregivers to advocates for advice and support at no cost.
https://parkinsonsnewstoday.com/social-clips/organizations-parkinsons-disease-patients-families/ - Parkinsons.Community: Provides one-on-one support, educational resources, and advocacy for people with Parkinson’s.
https://parkinsons.community/ - Movement Disorders Policy Coalition: Advocacy group highlighting barriers to care and working on policy issues for people with movement disorders, including Parkinson’s.
https://parkinsonsnewstoday.com/news/advocacy-group-highlights-care-barriers-parkinsons-policy-paper/ - Parkinson Partners, LLC: Provides patient advocacy, education, and support for individuals and families affected by Parkinson’s.
https://parkinsonpartners.com/parkinson-partners - Support Groups (Various): Numerous local and online support groups exist, often coordinated by the above organizations or local hospitals.
https://myparkinsons.org/parkinsons-disease-support-groups/
2. Academic groups and institutions:
- Parkinson’s Foundation Research Centers: Includes Columbia University Medical Center, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and others, focusing on advancing understanding and treatment.
https://www.parkinson.org/advancing-research/finding-cure/research-centers - APDA Centers for Advanced Research: Large research programs at leading U.S. institutions, supporting trainees and clinical translation.
https://www.apdaparkinson.org/research/advanced-centers/ - National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) Parkinson’s Disease Research Centers of Excellence: Supports preclinical and clinical research at major U.S. academic centers.
https://www.ninds.nih.gov/current-research/focus-disorders/parkinsons-disease-research/parkinsons-disease-research-centers-excellence - Van Andel Institute: Internationally recognized for Parkinson’s research, including clinical trials and biomarker discovery.
https://www.vai.org/research/research-areas/parkinsons-disease/ - Johns Hopkins Medicine Parkinson’s Research Group: Conducts basic and clinical research, including drug development (e.g., NLY01, c-Abl inhibitors).
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/institute-cell-engineering/research-programs/neuroregeneration/parkinsonsresearch - Yale Center for Advanced Research in Parkinson’s: Focuses on precision medicine, gene discovery, and tailored therapeutics.
https://medicine.yale.edu/news-article/precision-medicine-for-parkinsons-new-yale-center-for-advanced-research/ - Parkinson Study Group: A large clinical trial network of credentialed Parkinson Centers across North America.
https://parkinson-study-group.org/ - Feinberg Parkinson’s Disease & Movement Disorders Center (Northwestern University): Comprehensive care and research, collaborating with the Michael J. Fox Foundation.
https://www.parkinsons.northwestern.edu/research/index.html - Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) Parkinson Center: Recognized as a Parkinson’s Foundation Center of Excellence.
https://www.ohsu.edu/brain-institute/patients-parkinsons-disease-research - Australian Parkinson’s Mission (Garvan Institute): Collaborative research using genomics and clinical trials to develop tailored treatments.
https://www.garvan.org.au/research/diseases/parkinsons-disease - Parkinson’s UK: Funds research and runs collaborative projects in the UK and Europe.
https://www.parkinsons.org.uk/research/research-blog/our-research/2024-research-summary
3. Companies developing a drug:
- Denali Therapeutics: Focuses on neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson’s, with several drug candidates in clinical trials.
https://medicalstartups.org/top/parkinsons/ - vTv Therapeutics: Develops therapeutics for unmet medical needs, including Parkinson’s.
https://medicalstartups.org/top/parkinsons/ - Inflazome: Targets brain inflammation in Parkinson’s with small molecule drugs.
https://xtalks.com/6-parkinsons-biotech-companies-where-are-they-in-2021-2659/ - Neuron23: Develops drugs for Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.
https://www.medicalstartups.org/top/parkinsons/USA/ - Cala Health: Develops wearable devices for tremor management in Parkinson’s.
https://www.medicalstartups.org/top/parkinsons/USA/ - Melior Pharmaceuticals: Clinical-stage company developing treatments for metabolic and neurological diseases, including Parkinson’s.
https://www.medicalstartups.org/top/parkinsons/USA/ - AbiliLife: Develops products to improve quality of life for Parkinson’s patients.
https://www.medicalstartups.org/top/parkinsons/USA/ - Athira Pharma: Drug development for neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson’s.
https://www.biotech-careers.org/business-area/parkinsons-disease - BioVie Pharma: Focuses on therapies for neurodegenerative and liver diseases.
https://www.biotech-careers.org/business-area/parkinsons-disease - Zambon Pharmaceuticals: Develops treatments and devices for Parkinson’s.
https://www.biotech-careers.org/business-area/parkinsons-disease - GSK (GlaxoSmithKline): Partnered with Vesalius for Parkinson’s drug discovery.
https://www.biopharmadive.com/news/vesalius-gsk-parkinsons-research-deal-flagship/732654/ - 1ST Biotherapeutics: Developing gene-targeting therapies for Parkinson’s.
https://parkinsonsnewstoday.com/news/1st-biotherapeutics-joins-mjff-lrrk2-gene-targeting-program/ - BIAL: European company developing small-molecule drugs for Parkinson’s.
https://www.pharmtech.com/view/european-biotechs-unlocking-parkinson-s-disease - Neurolixis: UK-based, developing NLX-112 for Parkinson’s.
https://www.pharmtech.com/view/european-biotechs-unlocking-parkinson-s-disease - AbbVie: Major pharma company with Parkinson’s drug development and acquisitions (e.g., Mitokinin).
https://www.biopharmadive.com/news/abbvie-mitokinin-acquisition-parkinsons-neuroscience/695708/ - Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Biogen, Eli Lilly, Merck Sharp & Dohme, UCB: All are part of the Critical Path for Parkinson’s initiative, collaborating on clinical trial innovation and drug development.
https://www.parkinsons.org.uk/news/7-major-pharma-companies-sign-parkinsons-initiative - Supernus Pharmaceuticals: Recently received FDA approval for Onapgo (apomorphine hydrochloride) for advanced Parkinson’s.
https://www.drugs.com/newdrugs/fda-approves-onapgo-apomorphine-hydrochloride-motor-fluctuations-adults-advanced-parkinson-s-6448.html - Imago Pharmaceuticals, Ceregene, Voyager Therapeutics, QurAlis, NeuroSense Therapeutics, Anavex Life Sciences: All are developing drugs or gene therapies for Parkinson’s and related neurodegenerative diseases.
https://www.inven.ai/company-lists/top-25-neurodegenerative-disorder-gene-therapy-companies - Parkinson’s Virtual Biotech: A joint venture of Parkinson’s UK and the Parkinson’s Foundation, investing in early-stage drug discovery and development.
https://www.parkinson.org/advancing-research/parkinsons-virtual-biotech
4. Additional context:
- Collaborative Initiatives: The Critical Path for Parkinson’s and Parkinson’s Virtual Biotech are major collaborative efforts involving patient groups, academic researchers, and pharmaceutical companies to accelerate drug development and clinical trials.
- Global Reach: While many organizations are U.S.-based, there are significant efforts in Europe (Parkinson’s Europe, Parkinson’s UK, BIAL, Neurolixis) and Australia (Garvan Institute).
- Diversity of Approaches: Companies are developing a wide range of therapies, from traditional small molecules to gene therapies, wearable devices, and AI-powered diagnostics.
5. References:
- Parkinson’s Foundation
- American Parkinson Disease Association
- Michael J. Fox Foundation
- Parkinson’s Europe
- Partners in Parkinson’s
- Parkinsons.Community
- Movement Disorders Policy Coalition
- Parkinson Partners, LLC
- Parkinson’s Foundation Research Centers
- APDA Centers for Advanced Research
- NINDS Centers of Excellence
- Van Andel Institute
- Johns Hopkins Medicine
- Yale Center for Advanced Research
- Parkinson Study Group
- Feinberg Parkinson’s Disease & Movement Disorders Center
- OHSU Parkinson Center
- Garvan Institute
- Parkinson’s UK
- Denali Therapeutics
- vTv Therapeutics
- Inflazome
- Neuron23, Cala Health, Melior Pharmaceuticals, AbiliLife
- Athira Pharma, BioVie Pharma, Zambon Pharmaceuticals
- GSK/Vesalius
- 1ST Biotherapeutics
- BIAL, Neurolixis
- AbbVie
- Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Biogen, Eli Lilly, Merck, UCB
- Supernus Pharmaceuticals
- Imago Pharmaceuticals, Ceregene, Voyager Therapeutics, QurAlis, NeuroSense Therapeutics, Anavex Life Sciences
- Parkinson’s Virtual Biotech
If you need more detail on any specific group, research center, or company, or want to know about a particular drug candidate, let me know!