approval , giving trial sponsors confidence to invest in testing novel drugs .
Meanwhile , the possibility that doctors may be able to screen for Parkinson ’ s — beginning with a simple test for smell loss , a strong predictor of brain disease — is now closer than ever , with the new biomarker working in combination with existing tools to determine risk and identify individuals who should be monitored for emergence of Parkinson ’ s disease , potentially in the context of clinical research that urgently needs them .
A new biological era in Parkinson ’ s is coming into view , making 2023 a year like no other .
At The Michael J . Fox Foundation we are exhilarated by these advances and what they mean for patients and their families : a fuller understanding of the disease at every stage , smarter and faster drug trials and better treatments . From validating aSyn-SAA in our Parkinson ’ s Progression Markers Initiative ( PPMI ) to taking part in a global coalition of government , industry and private partners launching a new staging framework based for the first time on Parkinson ’ s biology — instead of subjective clinical features — we are pushing these developments forward simultaneously and rapidly . We look forward to sharing our progress in the pages of this publication .
We are also proud of , and moved by , the hundreds of thousands of people around the world — patients and their families ,
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