Over the past few months, many clinical trials paused or adjusted to address the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Now, with safety precautions in place, some study sites are starting to enroll participants again.

At The Michael J. Fox Foundation (MJFF), we continue to work with urgency and determination to move research programs forward and we are confident that with your help, progress in Parkinson’s research will continue.

Clinical trials are critical to the development of new and better treatments by testing how safe they are and how well they work. Here is a roundup of a few clinical trials recruiting volunteers now. 

• At 48 sites across the United States, biotech company Neuraly is recruiting 240 participants with early-stage Parkinson’s disease (PD) for a Phase II trial testing an injection to slow Parkinson’s progression. Neuraly’s drug NLY01 targets the inflammation pathway. To learn more, visit the study website or call 888-497-4890.

→ Watch a video on the role inflammation and the immune system may play in Parkinson’s disease.

• Acadia Pharmaceuticals is recruiting 53 participants with Parkinson’s at 25 sites across the U.S. for a 16-week study on the effects of pimavanserin, also known as Nuplazid, on activities of daily living (e.g., eating, bathing, getting dressed, going to the bathroom) in people with Parkinson’s disease psychosis. Nuplazid is currently approved to treat hallucinations and delusions in Parkinson’s and now is being tested to slow disease progression. Learn more here.

→ Read more on Parkinson’s disease psychosis.

• AbbVie is sponsoring a Phase III trial testing a continuous infusion of levodopa/carbidopa through a needle under the skin for treatment of PD. Across 65 international sites, AbbVie is recruiting 130 participants with Parkinson’s who experience at least two and a half hours of “off” time a day. Contact the AbbVie Call Center at 847-283-8955 or abbvieclinicaltrials@abbvie.com for more information.

→ Learn about “off” time, when symptoms return between medication doses.

• Funded by MJFF, Arizona State University is leading a study testing protective step training to improve balance and reduce falls in people with PD. They are recruiting 25 participants with Parkinson’s and gait issues. Contact Arizona State University at 602-827-2279 or posturegaitasu@gmail.com for more information.

→ Watch a video on balance problems in PD.

Clinical trials and new treatments can only move forward with the support of study volunteers. You can find these studies and search for others you may be eligible to join at michaeljfox.org/trial-finder.

And whether you’re a repeat trial participant or this is your first time considering joining a study, we thank you for your interest in Parkinson’s research.