Van Andel Institute and Cure Parkinson's have renewed a funding agreement to support the International Linked Clinical Trials Program, the world's largest drug repurposing clinical trial initiative for Parkinson's disease.
As part of the three-year agreement, VAI and Cure Parkinson's each pledge $750,000 annually to the program, with the two organizations also agreeing to collaboratively pursue fundraising to further support Parkinson's clinical trials.
Together with Cure Parkinson's, we are thrilled to reaffirm our longstanding support of the International Linked Clinical Trials Program. Our renewed agreement will enable the program to continue seeking promising new therapies, with the goal of identifying much-needed ways to impede disease progression and improve quality of life."
Darren Moore, Ph.D., the Jay Van Andel Endowed Chair in Parkinson's Disease Research at VAI and member of the International Linked Clinical Trials Scientific Committee
"Cure Parkinson's and Van Andel Institute are pleased and proud to renew our funding partnership for a further three years, having partnered successfully since 2014," said Helen Matthews, CEO of Cure Parkinson's. "This new matched funding agreement makes between $1,500,000 and $1,750,000 available 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 that aims to develop new treatments to slow, stop or reverse Parkinson's."
An estimated 10 million people worldwide have Parkinson's disease, a number expected to grow in the coming years as the population ages. Although there are treatments to manage symptoms, there are no currently approved ways to slow or stop disease progression.
The International Linked Clinical Trials Program aims to change that by supporting and facilitating clinical trials that evaluate potentially disease-modifying treatments for Parkinson's. Many of the medications included in the trials are "repurposed," meaning they were originally designed or approved to treat other diseases. This approach can save time and resources because candidate medications have already cleared rigorous safety and efficacy testing.
Medications are reviewed and prioritized by the program's Scientific Committee, which comprises Parkinson's researchers, medical professionals and advocates. Approximately 40% of the 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 an International Linked Clinical Trials-associated trial. Of the 47 trials launched since the program's inception, 19 are ongoing and 28 are completed. VAI funds have supported 10 of these trials.
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