Parkinson’s Disease

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the second most common age-related neurodegenerative disease after Alzheimer’s. It is characterized by the accumulation of alpha-synuclein in the basal ganglia of a patient’s brain, akin to the “plaques” and “tangles” one sees in Alzheimer’s disease. Patients with PD have progressively debilitating movement and behavioral symptoms.

Currently, there are no disease-modifying treatments for Parkinson’s disease on the market and the “best” drug yet available was discovered over 50 years ago. Approximately 7-10 million people worldwide are living with PD, with over 1.5 million in North America alone. Approximately 70,000 North Americans are diagnosed with PD each year. There is a tremendous medical need for new drugs in PD.