US Announces Plan to Combat Parkinson’s Disease Across the Country
Last week, the National Institutes of Health announced that it had begun the process of implementing the Dr. Emmanuel Bilirakis and Honorable Jennifer Wexton National Plan to End Parkinson’s Act, with support from the Health and Human Services department. This legislation was signed into law on July 2nd, 2024, and directs that the Secretary of Health and Human Services conduct a project to prevent, diagnose, treat and cure Parkinson’s disease.
Parkinson’s disease is a neurodegenerative illness that causes issues with movement, coordination and balance. Common symptoms include painful muscle contractions, tremors in one’s arms and legs, muscle stiffness, impaired coordination and balance. As the illness progresses, its symptoms worsen, with patients often having difficulty talking and walking.
While the illness has no cure, its symptoms can be managed using therapies like strength training and hydrotherapy as well as drugs like Levodopa.
The agency will establish an advisory council on Parkinson’s research and care that shall be co-chaired by the associate deputy director for the Office of Science and Medicine, under the Health and Human Services department’s-Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health and the director of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.
This is in addition to creating and updating a countrywide plan that’ll target other neurodegenerative Parkinsonisms, including dementia, progressive supranuclear palsy, corticobasal degeneration, and multiple system atrophy.
The primary objectives of the Parkinson’s project are to:
- Improve early diagnosis of Parkinson’s
- Facilitate coordination of treatment and care
- Hasten the development of effective and safe treatments
- Coordinate research and services across federal agencies
- Decrease the disease’s impact on the mental, physical, and social health of patients as well as their families and caregivers
- Increase global coordination
Ahead of carrying out this act, the National Institutes of Health is calling for nominations for individuals to serve on the council, which will focus on offering advice on issues related to Parkinson’s, including proposals for priority measures to be included in the national plan.
The council will be made up of a health provider; 2 patient advocates, including one living with early-onset Parkinson’s; a movement disorders specialist that treats patients with Parkinson’s; 2 biomedical researchers with expertise related to Parkinson’s; 2 representatives from nonprofit organizations related to Parkinson’s; and a dementia specialist who treats patients with Parkinson’s.
In addition to this, the council will also have representatives from thirteen federal agencies involved in Parkinson’s clinical care, research, or care services.
This effort by the federal government is bound to be a welcome complement the programs of for-profit companies like Annovis Bio Inc. (NYSE: ANVS) that are investing heavily in finding therapeutics for neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s.
NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to Annovis Bio Inc. (NYSE: ANVS) are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/ANVS
Please see full terms of use and disclaimers on the BioMedWire website applicable to all content provided by BMW, wherever published or re-published: http://BMW.fm/Disclaimer
Last week, the National Institutes of Health announced that it had begun the process of implementing the Dr. Emmanuel Bilirakis and Honorable Jennifer Wexton National Plan to End Parkinson’s Act, with support from the Health and Human Services department. This legislation was signed into law on July 2nd, 2024, and directs that the Secretary of Health and Human Services conduct a project to prevent, diagnose, treat and cure Parkinson’s disease.
Parkinson’s disease is a neurodegenerative illness that causes issues with movement, coordination and balance. Common symptoms include painful muscle contractions, tremors in one’s arms and legs, muscle stiffness, impaired coordination and balance. As the illness progresses, its symptoms worsen, with patients often having difficulty talking and walking.
While the illness has no cure, its symptoms can be managed using therapies like strength training and hydrotherapy as well as drugs like Levodopa.
The agency will establish an advisory council on Parkinson’s research and care that shall be co-chaired by the associate deputy director for the Office of Science and Medicine, under the Health and Human Services department’s-Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health and the director of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.
This is in addition to creating and updating a countrywide plan that’ll target other neurodegenerative Parkinsonisms, including dementia, progressive supranuclear palsy, corticobasal degeneration, and multiple system atrophy.
The primary objectives of the Parkinson’s project are to:
- Improve early diagnosis of Parkinson’s
- Facilitate coordination of treatment and care
- Hasten the development of effective and safe treatments
- Coordinate research and services across federal agencies
- Decrease the disease’s impact on the mental, physical, and social health of patients as well as their families and caregivers
- Increase global coordination
Ahead of carrying out this act, the National Institutes of Health is calling for nominations for individuals to serve on the council, which will focus on offering advice on issues related to Parkinson’s, including proposals for priority measures to be included in the national plan.
The council will be made up of a health provider; 2 patient advocates, including one living with early-onset Parkinson’s; a movement disorders specialist that treats patients with Parkinson’s; 2 biomedical researchers with expertise related to Parkinson’s; 2 representatives from nonprofit organizations related to Parkinson’s; and a dementia specialist who treats patients with Parkinson’s.
In addition to this, the council will also have representatives from thirteen federal agencies involved in Parkinson’s clinical care, research, or care services.
This effort by the federal government is bound to be a welcome complement the programs of for-profit companies like Annovis Bio Inc. (NYSE: ANVS) that are investing heavily in finding therapeutics for neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s.
NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to Annovis Bio Inc. (NYSE: ANVS) are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/ANVS
Please see full terms of use and disclaimers on the BioMedWire website applicable to all content provided by BMW, wherever published or re-published: http://BMW.fm/Disclaimer
