The Michael J. Fox Foundation has announced a US$2.5bn campaign to support next-generation Parkinson’s treatments and research towards a cure.
The multi-year fundraising campaign, called All Grit. No Quit., quietly launched in 2024 and has raised more than US$1.75bn towards its target.
More than 276,000 donors have contributed so far, with the money intended to support research across different stages of Parkinson’s drug development.
Debi Brooks, chief executive and co-founder of The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (MJFF), said: “Since our start, the Foundation has galvanised the field to transform Parkinson’s research, building deeper knowledge and stronger collaboration to move faster than ever towards a cure.
“All Grit. No Quit. reflects our willingness to take bold risks when the science demands it, bringing the full strength of our community to realising a world without Parkinson’s.”
Parkinson’s is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that worsens over time as biological changes lead to the destruction of dopamine cells in the brain.
There is currently no treatment that can slow or stop the progression of the condition. Around 90,000 people are diagnosed with Parkinson’s each year in the US, according to the foundation.
Symptoms vary between individuals and can include tremor, slowed movement, changes in mood and thinking, sleep problems, pain, digestive difficulties and skin problems.
MJFF said money raised through the campaign will support its Strategic Research Agenda, which is intended to advance drug development and research towards a cure.
The foundation said work under the agenda has included the discovery and validation of a new Parkinson’s biomarker in 2023.
It also cited the approval of 23 new drugs over the past decade and said a further 175 are currently undergoing clinical testing.
MJFF has allocated more than US$3bn to Parkinson’s research since it was founded in 2000.
In July 2024, it also helped secure passage of the National Plan to End Parkinson’s Act, the first comprehensive US federal legislation focused specifically on Parkinson’s research and care.
An estimated six million people worldwide currently live with Parkinson’s, according to the foundation, which said the global number is projected to double by 2040.
Todd Sherer, chief mission officer at MJFF, said: “The Parkinson’s drug development pipeline is more active than ever before. Our priority is ensuring the strongest ideas move forward without delay.
“This Campaign will enable us to strategically fund at every stage and on parallel paths, shortening the distance between discovery and meaningful benefit for people with Parkinson’s.”
Support for the campaign includes funding from the Sergey Brin Family Foundation, whose support has also advanced the Aligning Science Across Parkinson’s initiative.
The campaign is also supported by more than 13,000 Team Fox events and fundraisers and 600 Legacy Circle members.
Donna Krenicki, an MJFF Patient Council member and campaign committee co-chair who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s 15 years ago aged 49, said: “The science is what gives me hope for the future.
“Being part of All Grit. No Quit. is recognising the power of community. Because when it comes to ending Parkinson’s, we’re all in this together.”
