On Saturday, April 26, thousands will gather in New York City’s Central Park for the 2025 Parkinson’s Unity Walk, a day of education, community and fundraising for critical Parkinson’s disease (PD) research and public policy initiatives.  

The event has been a staple in the Parkinson’s community for more than 30 years. The Michael J. Fox Foundation (MJFF) became the proud hosts of the event in 2023, turning the dedication of walkers, fundraisers and advocates into real progress. The impact of this event is undeniable, fueling the following critical research and policy advancements that bring us closer to better treatments and ultimately, a cure.  

A Transformational Era in Parkinson’s Research 

The discovery in 2023 of a new biomarker for Parkinson’s, the alpha-synuclein seed amplification assay, made it possible for the first time to detect the earliest known sign of the disease in living people, even years before the emergence of symptoms. A momentous scientific breakthrough, the biomarker marked the beginning of a groundbreaking period of research — one that has propelled us into a new phase of discovery and therapeutic development. Meanwhile, today’s therapeutic pipeline is the most robust in PD history, with approximately 150 drugs in clinical testing — half focused on slowing or stopping the progress of PD and the other half focused on reducing PD’s disruptive symptoms.  

New Treatments 

The approval of three new drugs for Parkinson’s in 2024 demonstrates how the potential in the pipeline can lead to tangible improvements in the lives of people with the disease. In August of 2024, the first of three new PD drugs, Crexont, was approved by the FDA. Crexont is a long-acting oral formulation that aims to alleviate a patient’s motor symptoms, like tremor, slowness and stiffness, for longer with fewer doses. Two months later, in October 2024, the FDA approved Vyalev. Vylaev is an infusion-based Parkinson’s treatment that is shown to increase an individual’s “on” time (when symptoms are well controlled) by providing a steady source of levodopa/carbidopa. This medication is delivered through a continuous pump, allowing medication to be provided at a steady rate to reduce fluctuations in an individual’s symptoms.  

Then just a few months later, in February 2025, the FDA approved the third Parkinson’s treatment in less than a year, Onapgo. Onapgo is a Parkinson’s therapy for people with progressing PD who experience significant “off” time (when symptoms are not well controlled) or motor fluctuations. Using a continuous, under-the-skin infusion to deliver apomorphine, the drug aims to provide more consistent control of motor symptoms for individuals who may not achieve adequate symptom control with pills.  

These three approvals mark a major step forward in improving the lives of those living with PD today.  

An Improved, Biological Understanding 

In January of 2024, an international team of patient, research and industry leaders proposed the first iteration of a research framework for staging and defining PD objectively, based on its underlying biology.  

Made possible by the breakthrough biomarker for Parkinson’s hallmark misfolded protein, the framework paves the way for stronger clinical trials, better participant selection and, ultimately, treatments that can slow or halt disease progression. 

Historic Policy Achievements 

Public policy is a critical piece to funding and furthering research that will lead to a cure for Parkinson’s. Here is some of what we have accomplished in the policy arena since 2023.  

In July 2024, the nation’s first federal bill dedicated to ending Parkinson’s, the National Plan to End Parkinson’s Act, was signed into law. This bill establishes the National Parkinson’s Project, a first-ever federal initiative to accelerate research, improve patient care and prevent and cure Parkinson’s.  

Another major focus has been addressing the environmental risk factors for Parkinson’s. One such known environmental risk factor for Parkinson’s is exposure to chemicals like TCE — a widely used industrial solvent. In a major, long-sought victory for the Parkinson’s community, in December 2024, the EPA banned nearly all uses of TCE. This milestone came after nearly a decade of advocacy from MJFF, partner organizations and hundreds of thousands of supporters. This ban marks a major step in protecting public health.  

Policy Action at All Levels 

Policy progress wasn’t limited to the federal level — several states have taken meaningful action on Parkinson’s policy over the past two years. This amounted to 27 bills that were passed in over 15 states relating to Parkinson’s research and access to care.  

Several states established Parkinson’s research registries. By collecting health information on individual cases of Parkinson’s, researchers can monitor and identify connections to environmental and chemical exposures, determine accurate incidence and prevalence rates by state, study patterns of the disease over time and more. These registries will be rich data sources that can fuel research and help researchers, clinicians and policymakers better understand Parkinson's and how to treat it, and will ultimately, help lead to a cure.  

Looking toward the future, MJFF will continue to advocate for policy that will lead to a cure for Parkinson’s, including urging Congress to invest in Parkinson’s research and care programs, addressing the environmental risk factors for PD, ensuring proper implementation of the National Plan to End Parkinson’s Act and more.  

Join Us for the 2025 Parkinson’s Unity Walk 

On Saturday, April 26, we’ll take another step forward — together. Join us to walk, fundraise and amplify our collective voice for the PD community. We hope to see you at the 2025 Parkinson’s Unity Walk! Register now and get started fundraising today.