One example of a platform trial is the Edmond J. Safra Accelerating Clinical Treatments in Parkinsons Disease( EJS ACT- PD) project in the United Kingdom. Supported by the Edmond J. Safra Foundation, a longtime MJFF partner, this initiative will test multiple existing drugs approved for other conditions to see if they can slow or prevent PD progression. Researchers with EJS ACT-PD are enrolling people with motor symptoms, with the first patient possibly starting treatment later this year.
Patient Centricity Is Crucial in Parkinson’ s Research
People with Parkinson’ s are experts on their disease. They know what works for them and what they respond to— and their perspective is invaluable when it comes to clinical research. Since the earliest days of the Foundation, Michael’ s vision has been to bring the patient voice to research efforts, joining patient needs, preferences and experiences with critical clinical expertise from scientific stakeholders.
That’ s one reason why MJFF helped with recruitment for the TOPAZ clinical trial, where researchers are evaluating zoledronic acid( an FDA-approved osteoporosis treatment) for fracture prevention in Parkinson’ s. Telemedicine and at-home visits are making it easier for volunteers to participate, and study results may underscore how home-based research can offer a more efficient, convenient and cost-effective clinical trial model that opens participation to many more people with PD.
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