The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research (MJFF) awarded global biopharmaceutical AstraZeneca (AZ) a grant to support research on levodopa-induced dyskinesias (LID), a complication of therapies commonly used to reduce Parkinson's disease symptoms.

AZ will apply the $465,000 grant toward preclinical study of a novel nicotinic receptor agonist. If this research and subsequent clinical trials prove successful, AZ hopes to deliver a medicine that will reduce LID, enabling Parkinson's disease patients to optimize their treatment with levodopa. If AZ successfully brings the new medicine to market, it will refund the MJFF for the full grant amount within the first two years of commercial sales. 

"Levodopa-induced dyskinesia is a debilitating side effect of current Parkinson's treatments," said Todd Sherer, Ph.D., CEO of The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research. "We hope this research will lead to therapies that can work together to maximize benefit and minimize side effects for Parkinson's patients."