THE FOX FOCUS...
ON RESEARCH
A SHARED COMMITMENT TO A FUTURE
WITHOUT PARKINSON’S DISEASE
A new partnership focuses on innovation in drug discovery
and accelerating pipeline progress.
I
n June, The Michael J. Fox
Foundation was announced as the
successor organization to The
Michael Stern Parkinson’s Research
Foundation (MSPRF). The Foundations
also announced the creation of the
Michael Stern Discovery Grants in
Parkinson’s Science at MJFF. These annual
awards will further MSPRF’s mission
through cutting-edge research efforts
focused on the underlying cause, diagnosis
and treatment of Parkinson’s disease.
“The Michael Stern Parkinson’s
Research Foundation has championed a
strategic approach to advancing the PD
research field. We share a dedication to
progress and to ensuring the most
promising research gets the right support from critical early stages,” said Todd
Sherer, PhD, CEO of The Michael J. Fox
Foundation.
The new grants will recognize scientific
advances and identify opportunities to
improve the field’s understanding of
PD and push novel targets into the drug
development pipeline. They will continue
MSPRF’s critical work by funding targets
with strong potential to develop into novel
disease-modifying and symptomatic
therapies, including high-risk discovery
work.
MSPRF was established in 2001 by
Rome- and New York-based journalist and
filmmaker Michael Stern. Over the course
of its lifetime, it funded more than $46
million in PD research.
Mr. Stern’s philanthropy also
extended to Huntington’s and Alzheimer’s
disease research, along with co-leading
the restoration of the USS Intrepid.
6 THE FOX FOCUS
RESEARCH NEWS BRIEFS
FALL/WINTER 2015
Since day one, The Michael J. Fox Foundation has worked urgently to advance
the most promising scientific ideas through the development pipeline. Read about
progress toward improved therapies that could benefit millions living with Parkinson’s.
Two More Projects Trying to Stop
Parkinson’s Advance to Clinical Trials
The advance from laboratory testing to trials in humans is a major
milestone in drug development. Two companies working on approaches
against alpha-synuclein — the protein that clumps in brain cells of people with Parkinson’s disease (PD) — recently reached that point of progress. Biogen (a PPMI industry
partner) and MJFF grantee Neuropore Therapies are now studying interventions in
people without Parkinson’s to test safety before moving into trials for participants with
PD. These therapies join two others for a total of four active clinical trials that target
alpha-synuclein to slow or stop Parkinson’s progression. Read more at michaeljfox.org/
alphasynuclein.
The late Michael Stern and his daughter, Margaret Stern
He passed away in 2009.
“Our Foundation has always been driven
by the profound need to identify
discoveries in understanding and curing
Parkinson’s,” said Margaret Stern, MSPRF
Chair and CEO and Mr. Stern’s daughter.
“My brother and I are confident that our
father would have heartily approved of and
fully endorsed The Michael J. Fox
Foundation as the successor organization
to carry on his commitment to scientific
collaboration.”
The first Michael Stern Discovery
Grants in Parkinson’s Science are currently
in review by MJFF research staff, with
awards to be announced later this fall.
MJFF Leading Efforts to Visualize
Parkinson’s in the Brain
The MJFF Alpha-Synuclein Imaging Consortium is a group of
industry and academic researchers testing compounds that bind to the
alpha-synuclein protein in the brain. A compound that binds specifically to alphasynuclein — which clumps in brain cells of people with PD — could help researchers
diagnose Parkinson’s, track progression and test the impact of new therapies.
Two companies joined the consortium this year, and the group is testing promising
compounds. MJFF also is funding four projects independent of the consortium
working toward an alpha-synuclein imaging compound. Read more at
michaeljfox.org/imaging.
New Study Evaluates Depression
Therapy by Telephone
Depression is a common Parkinson’s symptom, but barriers including geographic location, physical limitations and apathy may limit the steps patients
take to address depression with PD. Researchers from Rutgers University in New Jersey
funded by MJFF and Parkinson’s Unity Walk are testing telephone-administered cognitive behavioral therapy to overcome some of those obstacles. The treatment, tailored to