Kevin McFarthing

The latest version of the Parkinson’s Hope List is now available at bit.ly/ParkinsonsHope… . It has 237 projects in Research stage, 98 in Discovery and 139 in Pre-clinical; and 166 in Clinical stage broken down by phase. #Parkinsons 1/2

FDA mandates label updates to common Parkinson's meds based on seizure risk finding fiercepharma.com/pharma/fda-man…

Oryon shines out of stealth with $21M to fight Parkinson's disease fiercebiotech.com/biotech/oryon-…

Does dairy increase Parkinson’s risk? A new meta-analysis takes a closer look. Dairy refers to foods produced from milk (milk, cheese, yogurt and butter). Warz and colleagues describe in a new paper that just dropped in Movement Disorders Clinical Practice how dairy and milk intake may relate to Parkinson’s disease risk in men and women. Key Points: - A systematic review and meta analysis including more than 578,000 participants examined whether higher dairy intake was linked to Parkinson’s disease risk. - Higher total dairy intake was associated w/ a modestly increased Parkinson’s disease risk in men, but no meaningful association was observed in women. - Milk intake alone showed a possible signal toward higher risk, however the evidence was inconsistent and the overall certainty of the data remained low. My take: The dairy and Parkinson’s discussion has been around for decades and continues to evolve. This updated analysis suggests overall there may be a small association in men, however the signal remains weak and observational. Dairy remains an important nutritional source and the current evidence does not support sweeping dietary changes specifically to prevent Parkinson’s disease. We should remember the Honolulu Aging Study when discussing dairy and Parkinson’s disease. In that cohort, higher milk consumption was clearly associated w/ greater Parkinson’s disease risk. Investigators later uncovered an environmental clue tied to dairy production. Dairy cows had been fed pineapple plant tops contaminated w/ the pesticide heptachlor. The chemical entered the milk supply and likely exposed those who consumed the dairy. This story reminds us that the risk signal may not be the milk itself, but what may occasionally travel along w/ it. Here are 5 points that resonated w/ me about the recent paper: 1- Environmental factors likely contribute to Parkinson’s disease risk and diet may be one small piece of a much larger puzzle. 2- The association between dairy intake and Parkinson’s disease appeared stronger in men, highlighting possible biological or hormonal differences. 3- Several hypotheses exist including pesticide contaminants in dairy or metabolic effects such as lower uric acid levels. 4- Observational nutrition studies can show associations, however they do not prove cause and effect. 5- At this time health care providers should focus on balanced nutrition and overall health rather than eliminating dairy solely to reduce Parkinson’s disease risk. …mentdisorders.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/md… @ParkinsonDotOrg @MDCP_Journal #parkinson

The Past, Present and Future of Clinical Trials in Parkinson's Disease as well as a Critique of How, Who and What We Measure... tmrwedition.com/2026/03/05/obs…

Why is Parkinson disease growing worldwide? The 'bathtub analogy' explains the surge. A bathtub analogy means imagining disease cases like water filling a tub where inflow, outflow and drainage determine how high the water rises. Dommershuijsen and colleagues describe in a new paper in Nature Reviews Neurology how simple epidemiological dynamics help explain the worldwide growth of Parkinson disease. They apply the bathtub metaphor. Key Points: - The bathtub water level represents the total number of folks living w/ Parkinson's disease, and this level has risen dramatically worldwide over the past decades. - Inflow into the bathtub represents new cases and may rise due to population aging, environmental exposures and better detection of Parkinson's. - Outflow represents deaths or cures, and longer survival w/ Parkinson's means less water draining from the bathtub and a steadily rising level. My take: The bathtub analogy is a powerful way to understand the Parkinson pandemic. Even if the rate of new diagnoses stays stable, the total number of folks living w/ Parkinson disease can keep rising because more folks survive longer and populations are aging. This framing also reminds us that prevention, environmental protection and disease modifying therapies will be essential if we want to slow the rising water level. Here are 5 points that resonated w/ me: 1- Parkinson disease is the fastest growing neurodegenerative disorder worldwide and the number of affected folks continues to climb. 2- Population aging expands the reservoir of individuals at risk and adds more water flowing into the bathtub. 3- Environmental exposures across a lifetime may contribute to rising disease risk in many regions of the world. 4- Better recognition and earlier diagnosis mean fewer cases are missed, which also raises the apparent number of folks living w/ Parkinson's. 5- Slowing the Parkinson's pandemic will require prevention strategies, disease modifying therapies and ultimately cures. These strategies will actively pump water out of the bathtub. nature.com/articles/s4158… #parkinson @ParkinsonDotOrg

Exercise is a brain drug. Here’s the biology behind it New review in Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience breaks down how exercise boosts brain BDNF, the key molecule for learning and memory. What matters most: 1. Exercise reliably increases brain BDNF, a driver of neuroplasticity and neurogenesis 2. BDNF supports memory, learning, mood, and stress resilience 3. Blocking BDNF signaling removes many cognitive benefits of exercise How exercise raises BDNF: 4) Neuronal activity increases calcium signaling and gene expression 5) Increased cerebral blood flow activates endothelial BDNF production 6) Muscle and liver release exerkines like lactate, irisin, IGF-1, and ketones that signal the brain 7) Brain BDNF comes from neurons, blood vessels, and peripheral organs working together Exercise isn’t just movement, it’s a whole body signal that rewires the brain from the inside out.

Press release associated with this work: biospace.com/drug-developme…

Did you know that treating sleep apnea early may reduce the likelihood of a later Parkinson's diagnosis? Apnea describes brief pauses in breathing during sleep that can trigger drops in oxygen and potentially stress the brain. Neilson and colleagues describe in a new paper in JAMA Neurology that having obstructive sleep apnea elevated Parkinson disease risk and that early use of positive airway pressure may have lowered that risk. Key Points: - Obstructive sleep apnea increased the risk of later being diagnosed w/ Parkinson's as early as two years after diagnosis (of OSA) and the risk continued to rise through six years. - Early positive airway pressure treatment reduced Parkinson disease incidence, including in those w/ mild and severe sleep apnea. - Positive airway pressure was also linked to fewer falls, fractures, and lower mortality in those who later developed Parkinson's. My take: Do not ignore sleep when thinking about risk for later Parkinson's disease. This paper offers a compelling reason to identify and treat sleep apnea. Here are 5 points that resonated w/ me: 1- Sleep apnea matters for brain health, however many folks remain undiagnosed and untreated. 2- Early screening is critical since positive airway pressure showed protective effects when started w/in two years of sleep apnea diagnosis. 3- Positive airway pressure may modify a midlife risk factor that contributes to vulnerability for Parkinson's. 4- Treatment appeared to reduce harmful downstream consequences such as falls, fractures and early mortality. 5- Folks w/ Parkinson's and sleep symptoms should ask their health care providers about targeted screening and ways to improve night-time breathing. jamanetwork.com/journals/jaman… @ParkinsonDotOrg #parkinson @JAMANeuro @JAMA_current @movedisorder @uoregon @VeteransHealth

I’m looking forward to it too

Another a-synuclein-targeting immunotherapy runs into trouble... Takeda walks away from an AstraZeneca-partnered neurological program after the TAK-341/MEDI1341 Phase 2 study in 159 people with multiple system atrophy missed primary & sec. endpoints fiercebiotech.com/biotech/takeda…

"The start of recruitment to the EJS ACT-PD trial offers real hope to people living with Parkinson's and their families.” Helen Matthews, CEO, Cure Parkinson’s. Learn how this new project will help transform Parkinson’s clinical trials in the UK: buff.ly/ZhqLihx

We’re excited to announce that recruitment for the first multi-arm, multi-stage (MAMS) platform for Parkinson’s in the UK – @EJS_ACT_PD – is open. This project will continuously test new therapies that could impact Parkinson's progression: buff.ly/W7eqbec #ejsactpd

@DrRigid Bad move but there’ll be some smart people available for hire

@InnovationFixer FYI

FFS @ScienceofPD @moversand6 @morethanatremor Novo Nordisk shuts cell therapy unit amid restructuring - reuters.com/sustainability…

Remember kids: "Pathology does not mean disease. Most individuals with pathology will never have disease" Wonderful letter from @AlbertoEspay & @ajlees! "In the reality we inhabit, we have made Lewy pathology not just a marker of PD, but its very maker! journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/18…

Honored to be asked to contribute to the Parky Charter effort by the wonderful Movers & Shakers @moversand6 - the Quest for a Cure (for #Parkinsons) linkedin.com/pulse/parky-ch…

What medicines do people with Parkinson's want? @touteiro , Carmo Bastos and I try to answer the question in @journal_PD #Parkinsons . It's #openaccess as well. journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.11…

Coincidentally in today’s Guardian - theguardian.com/technology/202…

“As such, moderation in the communication of prognosis and of the potential of new medicines is essential, so that PwP can maintain hope rather than being misled by hype.” in ⁦@journal_PD⁩ journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/18…

The Parkinson's Foundation has launched PD Trial Navigator to help increase enrollment in clinical studies testing gene-targeted therapies. buff.ly/Kvwq6tP

@DrRigid @ScienceofPD I removed it from the Hope List at the end of 2020 when it disappeared from the company pipeline. The last update on clinicaltrials.gov was in 2016. It looks well and truly gone!

@ScienceofPD @InnovationFixer Thanks, yes I was also looking at the Coeptis website today and zilch! Weird. I’ll try and find patent

@InnovationFixer @ScienceofPD Anyone know who has licensing rights to eltoprazine, a Phase 2b-ready small molecule indicated for Parkinson's disease levodopa-induced dyskinesia now that Amarantus BioScience has gone bust? 2b Results were good. Thanks