The importance of clinical trials to bring effective treatments to market is critical, however, many people with Parkinson's disease lack a basic understanding of clinical trials -- Leslie A. Chambers, President and CEO of APDA
New York, NY (PRWEB) February 29, 2016
The American Parkinson Disease Association (APDA) is pleased to announce a new series of in-person educational programs, “Parkinson Disease: Spotlight on Clinical Trials – What You Need to Know” to be offered throughout March in six major cities across the country. These programs will provide an expert perspective on clinical trials for Parkinson’s disease and are designed to help people with Parkinson’s disease, family members and care partners understand what clinical trials are, why they are important, and how to get involved. Dates, cities, and keynote speakers listed below.
3/2
Delray Beach, FL
Nisha Chhabria, MD, Movement Disorder Specialist, PD & Movement Disorders Center of Boca Raton
3/7
New Brunswick, NJ
Roseanne D. Dobkin, PhD, Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
3/10
Danvers, MA
Marie Saint-Hilaire, MD, FRCPC, Associate Professor of Neurology and Medical Director, PD & Movement Disorders Program, Boston University Medical Campus; Ray James, BS, RN, Clinical Nurse Research Coordinator, PD & Movement Disorder Center, Boston University Medical Campus
3/10
Brooklyn, NY
Tara Hayes, MS, RPA, Physician Assistant, New York Methodist Hospital
3/12
Los Angeles, CA
Jeff Bronstein, MD PhD, Director, UCLA Movement Disorder Program; Gal Bitan, PhD, Professor, UCLA
3/15
Chicago, IL
Tao Xie, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Neurology, University of Chicago Center for PD & Movement Disorders
“The importance of clinical trials to bring effective treatments to market is critical,” said Leslie A. Chambers, President and CEO of APDA. “However, many people with Parkinson's disease lack a basic understanding of clinical trials or why participating in a trial can contribute to better outcomes for themselves and for the Parkinson’s community. These programs will help educate and raise important awareness about what can be accomplished through clinical trials.”
The format of each event will include an exclusive viewing of the APDA webinar “Spotlight on Clinical Trials – What You Need to Know,” which was recorded live on February 9, 2016. The webinar features speakers Marie Saint-Hilaire, MD, FRCPC and Ray James, BS, RN from the Parkinson’s Disease & Movement Disorders Center at Boston University Medical Campus. The webinar provides an introduction to clinical trials, reviews the role of trials in Parkinson's disease, outlines the phases of a clinical trial from idea to approval, and describes what is involved in participation. Following the webinar presentation, a local clinician speaker(s) will provide information to attendees on how to identify currently available trials for people with Parkinson’s, discuss local trials that are available for enrollment, and answer questions.
“There has been tremendous progress in how we treat Parkinson’s disease since I started working in the field.” says Dr. Saint-Hilaire. “This is thanks to thousands of great people who participated in the studies to get new medical and surgical treatments approved by the FDA, or who helped us show the benefit of exercise, or the role of genetics in PD. The Parkinson community is very grateful to them, but we are not done yet. We continue to need the participation of everybody to beat this disease."
This program series is generously funded by Acorda Therapeutics and Lundbeck and provides a great opportunity to connect with others in the PD community while also getting important information and advice from experts in the field. To learn more about each local program or register by phone, please call toll-free (800) 223-2732.
The American Parkinson Disease Association (APDA) was founded in 1961 with the dual purpose to Ease the Burden - Find the Cure for Parkinson's disease. In that time, APDA has raised and invested more than $87 million to fund research, patient services and education, and elevate public awareness. As the country's largest Parkinson's grassroots organization, APDA aims to Ease the Burden for the more than one million Americans with Parkinson's disease and their families through a nationwide network of Chapters, Information and Referral (I&R) Centers, and support groups. APDA pursues its efforts to Find the Cure by funding Centers for Advanced Research and awarding grants to fund the most promising research toward discovering the cause(s) and finding the cure for Parkinson's disease.