There is a pressing need to develop safe and effective disease-modifying and symptomatic treatments for Parkinson's disease. Through improvements in our understanding of the pathophysiology of the disease, as well as genetic risk factors, new potential treatment targets have emerged. However, bringing a promising new compound from the lab through all of the steps of drug development is a long, difficult, and resource-intensive process. In recent years, collaborative efforts and advances in biomarkers have led to important breakthroughs that have the potential to facilitate the development of new drugs for Parkinson's disease. In this episode, Dr. Kalpana Merchant draws from over two decades of pharmaceutical industry experience to share progress in drug discovery and development for Parkinson’s disease and other neurodegenerative conditions. Kalpana is President and Chief Scientific Officer at TransThera Consulting, which provides guidance on drug discovery and translational strategies to biopharma startup companies. She is also an Adjunct Professor at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, a member of the Oregon Innovation Council, a Scientific Advisor at The Michael J. Fox Foundation, and she serves on advisory panels at the National Institutes of Health.

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The Foundation’s landmark research study is exploring the connection between sense of smell and brain disease. People with and without Parkinson's can help by taking a free scratch-and-sniff test. Get yours at mysmelltest.org/request.

This podcast episode was part of a limited series created by The Michael J. Fox Foundation in 2023 and 2024 for clinicians and researchers in our audience.  These episodes provide a deeper dive into exciting new scientific research in Parkinson’s disease, as well as innovative tools and valuable resources, through conversations with a variety of experts in the field. We hope you enjoy the conversation.