May Message from CAP Chairman, Karl Hespeler
Another Parkinson’s Awareness month is now over. As always, it was a month filled with enthusiasm and excitement. From my perspective, every April seems to outshine the last. All month long, patient advocates throughout the country took action by lobbying their congressman, participating in road races, raising money, and educating themselves. It’s natural to take a breather and exhale, but there is much work to be done. We need to continue the momentum to improve care and advance research towards a cure. Those living with Parkinson’s will face the disease long after the end of April.
Collectively, the Parkinson’s Community needs to work together to find new therapies and a cure. Individually, our voices tend not to be heard, but collectively, working together, our voices can roar. We need all Parkinson’s groups, communities and researchers working together, regardless of affiliation, to unify existing and new Parkinson’s research with unprecedented collaboration among scientists, groups, and patients. Working with each other – without silos, without barriers, and with a singular goal: a Cure: Now.
CAP is trying to help our members live lives today while trying to find a cure for tomorrow. To help spur new therapies and a Cure, CAP has recently formed a partnership with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to conduct new and exciting research for Parkinson's Disease. Our goal is to create improved treatments for Parkinson's that will allow people with PD to be free of symptoms and live normal lives. Dr. Robert Langer and Dr. Ann Graybiel, National Medal of Science Recipients, are leading this collaborative research. Dr. Michael Cima, a world-renowned engineer, is also part of the team. We have called this initiative CureNow: PD.
As you may know, in December 2018, research starting in the Langer Lab at MIT resulted in FDA approval of Inbrija, the first approved inhaled levodopa powder for Parkinson’s patients. This same lab – led by the “Edison of Medicine”, Robert Langer – is now in collaboration with other leading research labs at MIT and poised to begin a major research effort to take Parkinson’s research to the next level. This MIT initiative aims to create new and improved treatments that restore normal function to people with Parkinson's.In the coming months, the CAP/ CureNow team will be kicking off a national fundraising campaign to help fund this MIT initiative. Together – as one voice - we can make a huge difference. When we begin our campaign, please give generously. If you would like to join our team of passionate and energetic individuals, please call or email me. I would love to hear from you.
Warm Regards,
Karl C. Hespeler
Chairman
860-490-0251
Karl@Parkinsonsct.org
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