2021 in Review and What’ s Next
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Brain Biology in the News
A new Alzheimer’ s drug made headlines after receiving FDA approval in 2021. Aduhelm( aducanumab) is the first Alzheimer’ s disease therapy to be approved since 2003 and the first that targets the disease process, rather than merely treating symptoms.
When MJFF launched PPMI in 2010, the study was modeled after the Alzheimer’ s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative( ADNI), a public-private partnership in Alzheimer’ s that gave rise to the biomarkers supporting aducanumab’ s development. Ken Marek, MD, MJFF’ s scientific advisor and co-principal investigator of PPMI, penned an op-ed in leading research outlet STAT about the implications for the PD field:
“ The aducanumab story should redouble our commitment to develop and test biomarkers for Parkinson’ s that will provide a clear understanding of the biology of this disease. This is the only way to efficiently test whether drugs slow the disease process and ultimately slow Parkinson’ s-related disability. Researchers need to work with pharmaceutical teams to give them these tools to ensure that their studies will meet every standard that’ s required, so when encouraging data emerge, they can move forward effectively … The best way to put the approval of aducanumab into perspective is to see it as just the beginning of a pipeline of therapies that target the underlying biology of brain disease.”