Michael J. Fox Foundation Earmarks $3 Million to
Validate High-Impact Parkinson's Hypotheses
NEW YORK, Oct. 27 /PRNewswire/ -- The Michael J. Fox
Foundation for Parkinson's Research (MJFF) announced
today that it has launched a new Parkinson's research
program to stimulate well-designed clinical research
projects focused on potentially high-impact approaches
to the field of Parkinson's disease. Currently, there is
limited funding available for researchers to carry out
small-to-medium sized innovative clinical research
projects applying current knowledge regarding
Parkinson's disease directly to patients and patient
care.
"There are a lot of promising ideas that could
significantly impact our understanding of Parkinson's
but unfortunately never make it beyond the lab," said
Deborah W. Brooks, executive director of The Michael J.
Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research. "Through the
Clinical Discovery Program we aim to provide bridge
funding to researchers to validate potentially high-
impact hypotheses with the ultimate goal of progressing
to the clinic."
Under the Clinical Discovery Program, researchers will
be invited to submit grant applications to conduct new
or novel clinical research in humans relevant to the
cure, cause, prevention or improved treatment of
Parkinson's disease and its complications. The program
will support a variety of innovative research studies
that are directly related to patients or patient
populations affected by the disease.
Proposals may range from studies that focus on
understanding Parkinson's disease in humans and
developing scales for measuring Parkinson's, to research
supporting experimental new therapies for the treatment
of Parkinson's disease. Applicants will be required to
address study power, outcome and safety measures, as
well as the number of patient participants or tissue
samples required to conduct each study, as appropriate.
"Small clinical research studies are a critical step in
the translation of basic discoveries into meaningful
advances for people with Parkinson's disease," said J.
William Langston, MD, chief scientific advisor for The
Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research and
CEO of The Parkinson's Institute. "The Clinical
Discovery Program will seek out novel research that will
accelerate findings about the disease in humans and will
accelerate the development of new therapies."
The Clinical Discovery Program is a $3 million
investigator-initiated, peer-reviewed program that will
provide funding for clinical research projects over the
course of up to three years. Continuation of funding
will be dependent upon the achievement of mutually
agreed upon milestones. Letters of intent are due by
December 7, 2004. A scientific review committee
consisting of biostatisticians, clinicians, clinical
trial experts and others will review final applications.
Funding is anticipated by spring 2005.
For more information, scientists should visit the
Foundation's Web site
http://www.michaeljfox.org
To date, The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's
Research has funded more than $46 million in research
aimed at finding a cure for the disease, either directly
or through partnerships.
SOURCE The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's
Research
Web Site: http://www.michaeljfox.org
SOURCE: PR Newswire (press release)
http://tinyurl.com/4dl9r
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Murray Charters <[log in to unmask]>
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