• SKIP TO CONTENT
  • SKIP NAVIGATION
  • Patient Resources
    • COVID-19 Patient Resource Center
    • Clinical Trials
    • Search Clinical Trials
    • Patient Notification System
    • What is Clinical Research?
    • Volunteering for a Clinical Trial
    • Understanding Informed Consent
    • Useful Resources
    • FDA Approved Drugs
  • Professional Resources
    • Research Center Profiles
    • Clinical Trial Listings
    • Market Research
    • FDA Approved Drugs
    • Training Guides
    • Books
    • eLearning
    • Events
    • Newsletters
    • JobWatch
    • White Papers
    • SOPs
    • eCFR and Guidances
  • White Papers
  • Trial Listings
  • Advertise
  • COVID-19
  • iConnect
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Home » Berg, the Parkinson's Institute partner for clinical development

Berg, the Parkinson's Institute partner for clinical development

February 21, 2014
CenterWatch Staff

Berg and the Parkinson's Institute and Clinical Center have announced the next phase in their ongoing partnership, focused on identifying potential biomarkers that may lead to breakthroughs in the research, diagnosis, and treatment of Parkinson's disease. Using Berg's Interrogative Biology platform to analyze multi-omic tissue samples (skin fibroblasts, blood, urine) supplied by the Parkinson's Institute, this collaboration will identify the differences between healthy and diseased tissues in an effort to unravel the mysteries of Parkinson's disease. Berg and the Parkinson's Institute together are the first teams to approach biomarker discovery by looking at proteomics, metabolomics, and lipidomics, in addition to clinical data, simultaneously in human patients and controls from the same cohort.   

The new clinical study launched at the Parkinson's Institute and Clinical Center will collect urine, blood and other relevant tissue samples from people living with Parkinson's disease. These materials will be used to validate biomarker candidates identified previously from the collaboration. Most importantly, this will represent a first in merging patients' molecular and clinical information to develop profiles that will drive the development of biomarkers.

Berg is a biopharmaceutical company committed to uncovering health solutions through a data-driven, biological research approach. The Parkinson's Institute is America's only independent, nonprofit organization that brings together world-class care, laboratory research, clinical research and clinical trials for Parkinson's disease under one roof.

"This partnership harnesses the resources of the Parkinson's Institute, along with Berg's unique ability to integrate patient-specific molecular data with clinical and demographic information," said Niven R. Narain, co-founder, president and chief technology officer of Berg. "This new phase of our collaboration has the potential to create a number of game-changing innovations to better diagnose and manage Parkinson's disease."

Parkinson's disease is a progressive movement-related disorder of the central nervous system. It is estimated that there are approximately one million Americans living with Parkinson's. Each year, 50,000 new cases are diagnosed, and this rate is expected to rise with the aging baby boomer population. A clear understanding of Parkinson's and its underlying pathophysiology continues to be elusive as a result of the disease's complexity and a lack of predictive capability among existing models.

The expectation for this partnership is that it will help lead to a greater understanding of Parkinson's disease and the development of new tools that can change its course.

"Through our collaboration with Berg, we hope to identify predictors for the disease and potential new drug targets. Armed with this information, we will be able to better diagnose and develop therapies that can treat and perhaps even halt the neurological damage caused by Parkinson's," said Birgitt Schuele, M.D., director of Gene Discovery and Stem Cell Modeling at the Parkinson's Institute.

One fundamental and defining contribution of the Berg-Parkinson's Institute collaboration will be to provide hallmark insights into disease pathophysiology.

"With diseases like cancer and diabetes, we at least have a foundational map and understanding of their pathways. Our challenge with most central nervous system (CNS) diseases is that there is a gross lack of understanding of the molecular pathways and drivers of disease pathophysiology. The anchor points are just not as clear as they are with other disease states," said Paula P. Narain, CNS Disease Program Lead at Berg. "This collaboration will lead to insights into disease mechanisms that will provide a solid foundation for biomarker and therapeutic candidate discovery. Berg is confident that the combination of tissue samples and expertise from the Parkinson's Institute, together with their award-winning Interrogative Biology platform, will usher in a paradigm shift in Parkinson's disease."

Upcoming Events

  • 17May

    Three Data Trends to Consider Now When Developing Your Decentralized Clinical Trial Strategy

  • 24May

    Powering an Effective Oversight Strategy with Clinical and Operational Insights

  • 25May

    2022 WCG Avoca Quality & Innovation Summit: Own the Future

  • 28Jun

    Effective Root Cause Analysis and CAPA Investigations for the Life Sciences

  • 16Oct

    WCG MAGI's Clinical Research Hybrid Conference - 2022 West

Featured Products

  • Spreadsheet Validation: Tools and Techniques to Make Data in Excel Compliant

    Spreadsheet Validation: Tools and Techniques to Make Data in Excel Compliant

  • Surviving an FDA GCP Inspection

    Surviving an FDA GCP Inspection: Resources for Investigators, Sponsors, CROs and IRBs

Featured Stories

  • Protocol-360x240.png

    Avoid Deviations by Making Protocol Review a Team Effort

  • SelectionProcess-360x240.png

    Give Us a Voice: Sites Clamor for a Say on Vendor Selection

  • Convince-360x240.png

    Use Data and Details to Convince Site Leadership to Add Staff

  • AsktheExpertsBadge-360x240.png

    Ask the Experts: Listing Trial Staff and Others on the Statement of Investigator

Standard Operating Procedures for Risk-Based Monitoring of Clinical Trials

The information you need to adapt your monitoring plan to changing times.

Learn More Here
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Do Not Sell My Personal Information

Footer Logo

300 N. Washington St., Suite 200, Falls Church, VA 22046, USA

Phone 617.948.5100 – Toll free 866.219.3440

Copyright © 2022. All Rights Reserved. Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing