“It might sound scary to sign up for a clinical trial, but remember, every successful treatment prescribed today went through a trial phase,” says Reni Winter-Evans, 67, a research participant who lives in Westpoint, Indiana. “Those treatments wouldn’t be available if courageous people hadn’t stepped up and volunteered. I do it because I feel a strong sense of duty to help in any way possible to provide a disease-free future for myself, my offspring and everyone else.”

In this latest research roundup blog, we share four studies in need of volunteers.
 

• Aiming to Understand Parkinson’s: Our landmark Parkinson’s Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI) study is on a mission to better understand Parkinson’s. Because PPMI is an observational study, its research volunteers do not take any experimental drug or placebo. Rather, they agree to contribute important health data over time. PPMI has launched an online platform open to anyone over 18 living in the United States and plans to welcome international volunteers soon. International sites are also recruiting specific groups. Whether you have Parkinson’s or not, take a short survey to get started.
  
  Learn more about PPMI.

• Treating Complications: Dyskinesia is uncontrolled, involuntary movement that may occur with long-term levodopa use. Addex Therapeutics is leading a study to test a medication, dipraglurant, as a treatment for dyskinesia in Parkinson’s disease. The Michael J. Fox Foundation (MJFF) funded an earlier trial of dipraglurant that showed it was safe. Now a Phase IIb/III trial is recruiting 140 participants with Parkinson’s and dyskinesia at sites across the United States. The trial will use the Unified Dyskinesia Rating Scale, a tool created and validated by MJFF, to measure the impact of the therapy. Learn more about the study and find contact information.
  
  Watch a webinar on dyskinesia.

• Targeting a Key Protein to Slow Parkinson’s: The alpha-synuclein protein misfolds to form toxic clumps in the brain cells of people with Parkinson’s. Led by biopharma company UCB, the Orchestra study is testing whether an investigational drug, UCB0599, can slow Parkinson’s by targeting alpha-synuclein and preventing it from clumping in the brain. They are recruiting 300 people diagnosed with Parkinson’s in the past two years at seven sites across the United States. Learn more and find contact information.
  
  Read about a recent deal that puts more resources behind therapies targeting alpha-synuclein. Scroll to the bottom of the post for the latest on the full pipeline of alpha-synuclein therapies.

• Testing the Impact of Exercise: Many people with Parkinson’s report that exercise helps them manage daily life with the disease. A Phase III study, SPARX3, is testing whether exercise — specifically endurance activity on the treadmill — could impact Parkinson’s symptoms and progression. The study is recruiting 370 people diagnosed with Parkinson’s in the past three years at 29 sites across the United States and Canada. Learn more and find contact information.
  
  Watch an Ask the MD video on exercise.

Thank you for your interest in Parkinson’s research. The more who join us, the closer we’ll get to cures. Watch a webinar to learn about the role you can play in research. Or read more here.