As part of The Michael J. Fox Foundation’s goal to support the development of new and better Parkinson’s treatments, we are regularly assessing and tracking the drug development pipeline.
Five areas of drug discovery are attracting particular attention for their potential for new treatments that will help better manage symptoms and slow progression of the disease.
These include dopamine-based therapies, surgical treatments, disease-modifying therapies, biological targets and cell-based therapies.
#1: Dopamine-based Therapies Remain in Focus
“While new treatments for Parkinson’s disease are a constant focus, efforts to improve existing therapies have made significant progress,” says MJFF chief scientist Brian Fiske, PhD, “Especially over the last few years.”
Dopamine therapies keep getting better. While levodopa and carbidopa, the gold standard in dopamine therapies, have been around for decades, approvals from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) continue to improve upon the delivery of these treatments. New oral combinations, like Crexont (approved by the FDA in August 2024), aim to provide additional relief for symptoms through fewer doses, while under-the-skin infusions including the Vyalev pump (approved October 2024) allow for a steadier flow of medication to even out symptoms and reduce “off time” when symptoms are not well controlled. Meanwhile, additional dopamine therapies are making their way through testing and approvals, such as ND0612, which was resubmitted to the FDA in Summer 2025.
#2: Advances in Surgical Treatment Push Boundaries
Neuromodulation, surgical treatments that address symptoms by changing the brain directly, continue to advance thanks to technological improvements. In 2025, we saw the FDA approve adaptive deep brain stimulation (DBS), a closed loop system that allows real-time adjustments to the signals introduced into the brain by DBS. Until that approval, adjustments needed to be made directly by a clinician.
Focused ultrasound (FUS) also recently saw a new approval. By targeting a slightly different part of the brain than previous FUS efforts, surgeons can now apply the technique to both sides of the brain (in separate procedures at least six months apart). This means that FUS can now help with symptoms on both sides of the body—a new development.
“We are always looking to the next generation of treatments for Parkinson’s,” Fiske adds, “but patients can get a lot of value from improvements in current treatment protocols—be that through the way they take their medicine or the development of new surgical techniques.”
#3: Disease-modifying Therapies Progressing to Later Stages
There is still a need for disease-modifying therapies that can slow or stop the progression of PD, as none have been approved. However, there is ample focus on this strategy in the drug development field.
One example that took a major step in 2025 is prasinezumab. In June, its maker announced the drug would enter Phase III clinical trials, which could ultimately be used to request approval from regulatory agencies like the FDA. Prasinezumab targets the buildup of toxic alpha-synuclein protein in the brain, and it has the potential to slow or stop the development of PD in its tracks.
#4: Diverse Biological Targets Strengthen Range of Treatment Possibilities
This diversity in approach is met with a diversity in biological targets (parts of Parkinson’s biology that new treatments can interact with). Alpha-synuclein, the signature protein associated with Parkinson’s disease, remains a popular target for therapies, but other concepts continue gaining steam. For example, treatments targeting the immune system and inflammation are becoming more common, supplementing approaches like dopamine-based therapies. Taking a variety of approaches on at once reduces risk, maximizing the number of “shots on goal.”
In fact, The Michael J. Fox Foundation is currently tracking therapies covering a variety of approaches, meaning there are many different strategies for addressing Parkinson’s disease symptoms and biology currently working their way through the drug development process.
This range of treatment possibilities is further supported by efforts to repurpose existing therapies to be applied in Parkinson’s.
For example, there is still widespread research taking place into the potential of GLP-1R agonists (drugs like Ozempic) to slow Parkinson’s progression. Other drugs are getting the same treatment—from popular antibiotic doxycycline being tested as a way to reduce alpha-synuclein to allergy medicine montelukast being used as a way to reduce inflammation in the brain. Repurposing treatments often speeds drug development, since safety data is already available.
#5: Cell Replacement Therapies Show Promise
In Parkinson’s disease, people lose the cells that produce dopamine, leading to the movement-related symptoms most closely associated with PD.
Fiske explains, “Replacing these lost cells could help with these impactful symptoms. Researchers have worked on this for a long time, initially with tissue-based replacement but later with the use of stem cells.”
These therapies are now closer than ever to the clinic. For instance, bemdaneprocel, an embryonic stem cell-derived therapy, is advancing through clinical trials. The drug’s manufacturer, BlueRock, plans to move to a Phase III study after promising early results. That Phase III trial could provide enough evidence to lead to regulatory approval.
Parkinson's therapeutic development is a key element of The Michael J. Fox Foundation’s strategy for improving the lives of people with Parkinson’s. With careful attention and manicuring, the field is supported in a way to maximizes the number and types of efforts being made to deliver new therapies to Parkinson’s patients.