Research
Category
The True Cost
of Parkinson’s
An update from our CEO
THE ECONOMIC BURDEN STUDY CLEARLY
lays out the stakes in Parkinson’s (see cover
story). It provides a comprehensive picture of the
toll the disease takes.
The study shows that Parkinson’s costs our
nation over $50 billion a year in direct and indirect
expenses. This is nearly doubles previous estimates
and includes medical costs like hospitalizations and
other ways the disease affects finances, such
as missed work days and unpaid care.
and identify new drug targets. And at the same
time, we support research to measure and treat
the causes and symptoms of the disease.
The burden of Parkinson’s affects patients, their
families and their friends. This is why our mission
to cure Parkinson’s is so critical. For a patient,
“cure” can mean a lot of things. A drug to stop
Parkinson’s from progressing may be a cure. But
many patients, including Michael J. Fox, assert
that a therapy to effectively treat symptoms over
the long term without disabling side effects would
be tantamount to a cure in their view. MJFF approaches Parkinson’s research from the
most important perspective, that of patients. Our
Fox Insight study was created to hear directly
from people with Parkinson's and act on what
we discover (read more on page 7). In addition,
patients told us they needed more and better ways
to deal with gait and balance problems. We issued
a call for projects and asked patients to review
them to make sure they would meet their needs
(learn about the grants we awarded on page 5).
Since 2014, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration
has approved nine new drugs and three devices
for Parkinson’s to address serious symptoms of
Parkinson’s. Now, with momentum and a growing
community of researchers on our side, we have to
keep pushing forward. We thank all of you who provide your valuable
experiences through Fox Insight and help us in
so many other ways. Your generosity is inspiring
— from donating to supporting research to
volunteering for clinical trials and joining Team
Fox — you make success possible.
The Michael J. Fox Foundation’s (MJFF) research
strategy is focused on accelerating the most
innovative ideas to cure Parkinson’s. To do this,
we fund research to define the causes of disease Thank you for all you do.
How Is MJFF Working to Reduce the Economic Burden?
Research is our best chance to reduce economic burden and improve the quality-of-life for
Parkinson’s patients and their loved ones. Since January of this year alone, The Michael J. Fox
Foundation has awarded more than 165 new grants to researchers around the world, totaling
nearly $30 million. All of our funding decisions serve our mission to find a cure for Parkinson’s
and improved treatments for those living with the disease today.
3
Spring/Summer
The Fox Focus
2019