The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research (MJFF) is the world's largest nonprofit funder of Parkinson's disease research. Founded by actor Michael J. Fox following his Parkinson's diagnosis in 1991, the organization has funded over $2 billion in research to date with the goal of finding a cure for Parkinson's disease. The Foundation takes an aggressive, proactive approach to therapeutic development, working across the entire research pipeline from basic science to clinical trials.
A landmark observational clinical study launched in 2010 that has enrolled over 1,500 participants including people with Parkinson's, at-risk individuals, and healthy controls. PPMI has become the most comprehensive Parkinson's database in the world, with data freely available to researchers globally.
MJFF's therapeutic development programs validate new drug targets and support the development of new therapeutic compounds through:
Named after the late philanthropist, these programs focus on:
MJFF-funded research has produced numerous breakthroughs:
MJFF actively manages a robust Parkinson's therapeutic pipeline:
| Drug/Approach | Target | Stage | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| BIIB122 (DNL151) | LRRK2 inhibitor | Phase II | Recruiting |
| AAV2-AADC | Gene therapy | Phase I/II | Completed |
| Cinpanemab | Anti-α-synuclein | Phase II | Completed |
| Prasinezumab | Anti-α-synuclein | Phase II | Completed |
| AAV-GAD | Gene therapy | Phase II | Recruiting |
MJFF invests in training the next generation:
MJFF works globally:
The study of Michael J. Fox Foundation For Parkinson'S Research has evolved significantly over the past decades. Research in this area has revealed important insights into the underlying mechanisms of neurodegeneration and continues to drive therapeutic development.
Historical context and key discoveries in this field have shaped our current understanding and will continue to guide future research directions.