Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Merck and other Big Pharma companies have signed up to a consortium aimed at accelerating the development of safe and effective therapies for Parkinson’s
The Critical Path for Parkinson’s consortium was formed by Parkinson’s UK and Critical Path Institute (C-Path) to increase investment into research and development of new Parkinson’s treatments.
The consortium will bring together academics and industry members including AbbVie, Biogen, Eli Lilly and Company and UCB to share data, expertise and resources to promote and develop new treatments for Parkinson’s, according to Parkinson’s UK.
Arthur Roach, director of research at Parkinson’s UK, said: “Despite significant advances in our understanding of the genetics, biochemistry and pathology of Parkinson’s, the development of new treatments has not kept pace.
“Investing in clinical trials for brain disorders currently carries a high cost and high risk of failure. As the world’s largest patient-led Parkinson’s charity, we know that people living with conditions such as Parkinson’s have often been disappointed when drugs that showed significant promise early on failed in late stage testing.
“We see the consortium as a crucial part of strategies to develop new treatments that work at the earliest stage of the condition, with the goal of slowing its progression and eventually finding a cure.”
Diane Stephenson, executive director, C- Path, said: “With the increase in the costs of getting a drug to market, the design of a clinical trial is a crucial part of a drug’s success.
“There is a strong realisation from the industry that collaboration among industry, academia and worldwide regulatory agencies, along with the sharing of data, has the potential to create a more efficient development process.
“This recognition is evidenced by the fast pace at which members of this new consortium have joined.”
Parkinson’s UK has committed over £1 million to the Critical Path for Parkinson’s consortium.