Our research
See our latest research updates
An update to our research strategy
Combination therapies
The 2025 iLCT meeting - a new alliance for progress
Update on iLCT pipeline projects
Professor Matthew Farrer awarded 2025 Tom Isaacs Award
Stay informed: research, advocacy and community
The largest clinical trial for Parkinson's is now open for recruitment
An update to our research strategy
Over the past 20 years, Cure Parkinson’s has directly committed more than £25 million of funding into both laboratory and clinical research projects, all focused on slowing, stopping, and reversing Parkinson’s progression. Our actions are driven by our core research strategy, which has now been updated.
The strategy has four key objectives that build on what we have done so far and will drive us closer to our goal. Learn more about each of these objectives and the efforts we are making to accelerate the discovery of a cure.
1. Grow our treatment selection programme
In 2012, Cure Parkinson’s and Van Andel Institute joined forces to launch the International Linked Clinical Trials (iLCT) initiative. This involves a committee of 20-30 Parkinson’s experts from around the world meeting annually to prioritise promising drugs for trials. Now, Cure Parkinson’s seeks to expand this initiative. One way we are doing this is by encouraging cross-condition collaborations. Learn more about our joint iLCT session with Alzheimer’s Research UK here.
2. Accelerate the clinical testing of new therapies.
Setting up clinical trials is an expensive, time-consuming process. To accelerate this, Cure Parkinson’s has aided the funding and development of several global multi-arm, multistage (MAMS) clinical trial platforms - trials that allow the testing of multiple treatments simultaneously. Learn about the upcoming UK MAMS platform, EJS ACT-PD here.
3. Champion the development of combination therapies.
To date, most experimental treatments are testing a single drug targeting a single aspect of the condition. We know, however, that Parkinson’s is a complex condition with many underlying drivers. Therefore, it may be more effective to treat Parkinson’s with combinations of drugs that target different aspects of the condition. Learn more about our newest funding call here.
4. Make disease modification more personalised.
As many in the patient community know, the symptoms of Parkinson’s can vary widely between people affected by the condition. This can make it hard to determine the effectiveness of the treatment in a trial, as each person may respond to the treatment differently. To increase the likelihood of success, we are interested in improving patient stratification for clinical trials and helping researchers identify who may benefit from the therapy the most.
Our clear focus means we are relentless in our pursuit of these objectives and the ultimate goal of disease modification for Parkinson’s. We will bring together those who share this ambition and work collaboratively with them as we all strive for a world without Parkinson’s.
You can read the full research strategy on our website.
Combination therapies
As part of our updated research strategy, Cure Parkinson’s seeks to encourage the development of combination therapies. To achieve this, we are excited to announce our newest funding call, which will give £2 million to support both preclinical and clinical investigations of combination therapies.
Most clinical trials for disease modification in Parkinson’s have involved the testing of a single drug (or monotherapy) in the hope it will have a clinical benefit. Monotherapies are helpful when an individual factor causes a condition, and this factor is well understood. For example, antibiotics are used to treat strep throat because it is caused by bacteria. We know, however, that there are many pathways that interact and contribute to the loss of nerve cells (neurons) in Parkinson’s. Therefore, although the clinical testing of single drugs remains important, finding a disease-modifying treatment may ultimately require a combination therapy approach.
A combination therapy is a treatment that involves two or more active agents to achieve the desired effect. These drugs may target separate pathways linked to the condition, or one may be used to enhance the effectiveness of the other.
Combination therapies have already been employed in several therapeutic areas, such as in cancer and heart disease and are currently used to treat Parkinson’s symptoms: co-careldopa, one of the most common Parkinson’s medications, contains both levodopa and carbidopa. Carbidopa helps to ensure more levodopa can reach the brain, where it is then converted to dopamine.
Since combination therapies are already being used for the treatment of Parkinson’s symptoms, it feels logical that they could also be used to treat progression. Therefore, Cure Parkinson’s is championing the testing of combination therapies with the hope of increasing the odds of identifying disease-modifying therapies quickly.
To drive this, Cure Parkinson’s opened a new £2 million funding call in October, asking researchers to submit proposals for both preclinical and clinical projects testing combination therapies for Parkinson’s. The call will close for applications on Monday 24 November 2025.
Learn more about this call and how to apply on our website.
"Parkinson’s is a complex condition and as our understanding increases it becomes increasingly clear that multiple cellular mechanisms should be targeted to have the best chance of restoring cellular health. This means exploring and testing combination therapies is a critical next step in drug discovery and highlights an important step to getting new therapies to the clinic."
Professor Heather Mortiboys
University of Sheffield
The 2025 iLCT meeting - a new alliance for progress
This year marks a new milestone for the International Linked Clinical Trials (iLCT) programme. At the annual meeting in June, the committee were joined by members of Alzheimer’s Research UK (ARUK) and dementia experts for a special joint session looking at drugs that may benefit both Parkinson’s and dementia.
Since 2012, Cure Parkinson’s and Van Andel Institute (VAI) have assembled a group of world-leading Parkinson’s experts each year to evaluate treatments with the potential to slow, stop or reverse Parkinson’s, with the aim to accelerate their advancement into clinical trials.
This year’s meeting took place in June at Cumberland Lodge in Windsor Great Park. The Cure Parkinson’s research team provided 16 drug dossiers for review. The iLCT committee evaluated each dossier, with every member providing a score which contributed to the overall ranking and prioritisation of the treatments. This ranking is based on how ready each drug is to move into clinical trial. Following careful consideration, the committee prioritised five drugs to be taken forward to the next stages of testing, with each drug addressing different aspects of Parkinson’s biology.
We were also delighted to announce a new partnership with ARUK, the leading dementia research charity in the UK. There are many similarities in the drivers and underlying biology of neurodegenerative conditions, including Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and other dementias. For example, a common feature is the accumulation of dysfunctional proteins in neurons; in Parkinson’s, this is alpha-synuclein, whereas in Alzheimer’s, this is amyloid beta and tau. Recognising the overlap, this collaboration seeks to assess the potential for certain treatments to offer therapeutic benefits for Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and related dementias. Learn more about this partnership on our website.
During the iLCT meeting, Cure Parkinson’s and ARUK hosted a special joint session. Several dementia experts joined a panel with a selection of iLCT committee members to evaluate six drugs targeting common biological pathways. As a result, the organisations are now in discussion on how best to move forward with these drugs as well as future directions for the collaboration.
As part of our updated research strategy, Cure Parkinson’s will continue to look at new ways to grow and strengthen our iLCT initiative to further accelerate the identification and progression of promising treatments.
Update on the iLCT pipeline projects
Another of our grant funding calls - the International Linked Clinical Trials (iLCT) Pipeline Acceleration Programme - uses guidance from the iLCT committee to commission research into promising drugs that need additional preclinical research before being ready to move into clinical trial. Since its launch in 2022, we have funded four projects under this grant programme. Read the latest updates on two of these projects below, including our newest addition.
Theracurmin
Curcumin, a compound found in turmeric, is known for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties; because of this, researchers have been interested in whether it may be able to help rescue neurons in Parkinson’s. Curcumin, however, has low bioavailability, meaning it does not circulate throughout the body well. Theracurmin is a slow-release formulation of curcumin that is much more bioavailable. To assess whether this formulation can access the brain and if it is neuroprotective, Dr Ayse Ulusoy at the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) will be investigating theracurmin in preclinical models of Parkinson’s. This 18-month project will start in November 2025, and we look forward to seeing how it progresses.
Probucol and Chlorogenic Acid
Dr Poonam Thakur, from the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) in Thiruvananthapuram, is evaluating two drugs – probucol and chlorogenic acid – in models of Parkinson’s to determine whether they are neuroprotective. Probucol is a cholesterol medication and evidence suggests that it can lower inflammation. Chlorogenic acid is a compound found in coffee which is thought to reduce levels of the protein alpha-synuclein.
So far, the team have been able to confirm that both compounds were able to reach the brain but chlorogenic acid has not shown a strong effect. Probucol, however, has shown initial signs of being neuroprotective. The researchers will continue to examine the data from additional treatment groups over the next year, with the project expected to finish in September 2026.
"If the outcome in our preclinical evaluation is successful, then I’ll be “very happy if any of these drugs go to a clinical trial. For me to contribute to any benefit for people with Parkinson’s, will give me immense satisfaction."
Dr Poonam Thakur
Indian Institute of Science Education and Research
Learn more about Dr Thakur and her work in Cure Parkinson’s new Meet the Researcher series, as we hear directly from the scientists putting our funded research projects into action. From learning about their career journeys, to getting an inside look at their studies, we discover how their work aims to support people living with Parkinson’s.
Professor Matthew Farrer awarded 2025 Tom Isaacs Award
Cure Parkinson’s and Van Andel Institute are delighted to announce Dr Matthew Farrer as the winner of the 2025 Tom Isaacs Award, which honours researchers who closely collaborate with the Parkinson’s community.
Cure Parkinson’s CEO Helen Matthews presented the award to Dr Farrer at the annual Grand Challenges in Parkinson’s Disease symposium and parallel Rallying to the Challenge meeting for people living with Parkinson’s. These events are held simultaneously in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Dr Farrer is a Professor of Neurology at the University of Florida, where he specialises in Molecular Neuroscience and Neurogenetics. Dr Farrer’s work in the genetics and neuroscience of Parkinson’s is critically acclaimed, and focuses on uniting people with Parkinson’s and researchers for their mutual benefit.
"We are delighted to present the 2025 Tom Isaacs Award to Matt. Through his work he truly understands the importance and value of working with people with Parkinson’s and how insights from the lived experience of Parkinson’s can drive research. We hope this award will help celebrate Matt’s passion and commitment to the Parkinson’s community." - Helen Matthews, CEO, Cure Parkinson's
"I feel very humbled to receive the Tom Isaacs Award. None of this would be possible without people with Parkinson’s and their families, who are at the heart of every discovery. From identifying genes like alpha-synuclein, LRRK2, PINK1 and PARKIN to uncovering the roles of mitochondria and lysosomes, the biggest breakthroughs have come from studying families affected by Parkinson’s.
Their genealogy and personal medical perspective have given us cause-and-effect insights that guide the future of research, and we need more focus and funding in this area to truly make a difference. Their knowledge of Parkinson’s is second to none, and it’s humbling to learn from them."
Dr Matthew Farrer
Stay informed: research, advocacy and community
Catch up on some of our key events from the year where we share the latest developments in Parkinson’s research and updates on our research funding and find out how you can join our advocacy community helping to support our mission.
Ways to get involved
Autumn Research Update Meeting
Re-watch our Autumn Research Update Meeting focused on multi-arm, multistage (MAMS) clinical trial platforms, with presentations from two upcoming MAMS projects: EJS ACT-PD, a UK-based MAMS platform, and SLEIPNIR, a multi-arm clinical trial platform recently launched in Norway .
Our Advocacy Community
At Cure Parkinson’s, the volunteers who are part of our advocacy community play a crucial role in helping support our mission – from shaping research priorities, to sharing their experiences to help raise awareness about living with Parkinson’s.
Rallying to the Challenge
Re-watch presentations from this year’s Rallying to the Challenge meeting discussing Waste Disposal Systems in Parkinson’s. The meeting, designed for, and by, people with Parkinson’s, advocates, and care partners, explores how the Parkinson’s community can impact and accelerate research.
Quarterly webinar series
Our most recent quarterly webinar, hosted by Professor Tilo Kunath from the University of Edinburgh in collaboration with the Journal of Parkinson’s Disease, explored Deep Brain Simulation (DBS), with a special emphasis on an emerging form of this therapy: adaptive DBS. The panel discussed how the therapy works and interacts with the brain, and whether DBS, especially adaptive DBS, could have a disease-modifying effect.
The largest clinical trial for Parkinson’s is now open for recruitment
Cure Parkinson’s is excited to announce that the first multi-arm multi-stage clinical trial platform for Parkinson’s in the UK - EJS ACT-PD - is underway, with recruitment now open to people with Parkinson’s.
The Edmond J. Safra Accelerating Clinical Trials for Parkinson’s Disease (EJS ACT-PD) platform aims to transform the way Parkinson’s clinical trials are conducted in the UK. As a multi-arm, multi-stage (MAMS) trial platform, EJS ACT-PD can evaluate several potentially disease-modifying treatments in parallel against a shared placebo (dummy drug) group. This process accelerates the search for effective treatments by testing more drugs faster and more efficiently than ever before.
Co-led by Professors Tom Foltynie (University College London) and Camille Carroll (Newcastle University), the trial will initially test two potentially disease-modifying therapies - telmisartan and terazosin. In 2026, the team will introduce a third treatment arm with ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA). All three drugs are repurposed from other medical conditions and were previously evaluated by our International Linked Clinical Trials (iLCT) committee - a group of Parkinson’s experts who meet annually to rank and prioritise promising therapies for clinical trial.
Why is this important for people living with Parkinson’s?
Operating a clinical trial is a slow, and expensive process, which must be restarted each time researchers want to test a new drug. It is comparable to building a football stadium, playing a single game, and then dismantling the stadium, only to restart the process for each subsequent trial. MAMS trials can speed up this process by testing multiple treatment groups against one placebo. This allows for several drugs to be tested in parallel. MAMS platforms are also adaptive, allowing new treatments to be added as others complete or swapped in if drugs are not showing positive results. This flexibility effectively speeds up the trial process.
The MAMS model has already been successfully applied in other conditions, such as prostate cancer, and Multiple Sclerosis. Additionally, the launch of this trial means more opportunity than ever before for people with Parkinson’s to participate in clinical research. In the first instance, EJS ACT-PD will recruit up to 1,600 participants across more than 40 sites in England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and Scotland.
This trial is a £26 million investment and the result of several years’ work by the EJS ACT-PD consortium. The consortium invited stakeholders from a variety of backgrounds, including researchers, clinicians, charities, and people with Parkinson’s, to help design and launch this trial. Cure Parkinson’s has played an essential role in supporting this initiative since its inception, and we are delighted to see it come to fruition.
Involvement and impact of people with Parkinson’s
Since the beginning, a central goal for this project has been to make it accessible and inclusive. This has meant involving diverse groups to help shape the trial design, ensuring it produces results that are meaningful to people with Parkinson’s. To achieve this, the consortium recruited people with Parkinson’s, their partners and carers, as well as community representatives to the Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement (PPIE) working group. Members sat on each of the other working groups, helping to ensure that people with Parkinson’s were considered in every step of the process.
"The patient voice is valuable in clinical trials, it’s the voice of reality yet it’s often overlooked, so it’s really positive that the trial platform genuinely values it. I wanted to use my own skills and experiences to do something really impactful and help ensure the trials platform takes the patient perspective into account."
Katy O’Malley, who lives with Parkinson’s and is a member of the PPIE working group
This clinical trial is led by University College London and is funded by a Medical Research Council (MRC) and National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) partnership, Cure Parkinson’s, The Michael J Fox Foundation, Parkinson’s UK, The John Black Charitable Foundation, The Gatsby Charitable Foundation and Van Andel Institute.
"Cure Parkinson’s understood the transformative potential of EJS ACT-PD and has supported the study team since 2018/2019 to make this a reality. We are very proud to have worked hard behind the scenes to facilitate around a third of the funding required for the trial, for which we thank our incredible supporters - and that is you. It is fantastic that the trial is including three drugs already prioritised by our iLCT committee which means that treatments we believe are among those with the most potential to be disease-modifying are moving forward in clinical testing." - Helen Matthews, CEO, Cure Parkinson's
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