The Michael J. Fox Foundation Annual Report 2016 – Frameworks for Progress | Page 27

The Michael J. Fox Foundation (MJFF) is committed
to speeding treatments to improve today’s patients’
quality of life by more adequately addressing the
symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. In 2016, several
experimental drugs and treatments moved into
end-stage development and are anticipated to
reach market within the next one to three years.
— A new extended-release formulation
of amantadine, by biotech Adamas
Pharmaceuticals, is entering the
home stretch of clinical testing, with
a decision regarding approval from
the FDA expected later this year. The
formulation is taken at bedtime and
slowly released into the bloodstream
so that peak amounts of the drug are
present when it is time to wake up. The
company’s progress was accelerated
by the availability of a new dyskinesia
rating scale developed by MJFF in
response to the lack of a validated tool
in this area.
— In September 2016, MJFF-funded
biotech Cynapsus was acquired by
pharma firm Sunovion for over half a
billion dollars. The deal was made on
the strength of Cynapsus’ lead product,
an under-the-tongue, fast-acting
“Listerine strip” addressing “off”
episodes — when symptoms return
before it is time for the next dose of
levodopa. The treatment has now
attained Phase III clinical testing and
is likely to undergo review by the FDA
within several months.
— Following $1.3 million in MJFF
funding to drive the early stages of
clinical development, Civitas (now
Acorda) developed an inhaled powder
formulation of levodopa — like an
asthma inhaler for Parkinson’s for off-
time rescue.
— During summer 2016, Israel-based
biotech NeuroDerm presented
positive results from a Phase II study
of an under-the-skin “pump-patch”
delivering levodopa and carbidopa
continuously. MJFF has invested
about $2.5 million in the development
of the product, which aims to lessen
motor fluctuations in advancing
Parkinson’s disease.
2016 Annual Report
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