There are 25,000 annual new cases of Parkinson’s disease in France. By 2030, the number of patients could increase by 56%, which would mean one person in 120 over 45 would have the disease*. The symptoms are crippling: trembling, rigidity in the limbs, impaired vision – conditions that take a heavy toll on patients’ everyday lives. Since 2001, Fondation de France has offered support to researchers.

From bench to bedside: finding a cure

In recent years, there has been major progress in Parkinson’s research. New therapeutic possibilities have opened up with cellular therapy and there are new options for lessening the side effects of treatment. Researchers have also made inroads on understanding the origins of the disease. Fondation de France has contributed to all of these advances, following its strong conviction that fundamental and clinical research should be carried out in a way that is both complementary and concomitant.

While today’s treatments only address symptoms, there is hope that researchers will find a cure in the future. In the meantime, improving the quality of patients’ lives is a priority.

Fondation de France’s efforts focus on three key areas:

• deepening understanding of the disease;
• promoting the development of new therapies and staunching the side effects of current treatments;
• encouraging the exploration of audacious and innovative therapeutic strategies that could lead to a cure.