Parkinson’s disease is the gift that keeps on taking. But it truly has been a gift.

Michael J Fox

At year end, it seems that there is always something new and significant for People with Parkinson’s Disease.

Here are some of the things I came across in the last few days.

From Health Exec

Digital health startup receives FDA clearance for Parkinson’s Disease applications on Apple Watch

Amy Baxter | November 23, 2022 | Policy & Regulations

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved 501(k) marketing clearance for the prescription mobile app Parky for monitoring Parkinson’s Disease.

The app, from digital health startup h2o Therapeutics, monitors Parkinson’s Disease symptoms such as tremors and dyskinesia via use of the Apple Watch. The app can be used to share data between patients and medical professionals regarding the course of the disease.

Approximately 500,000 Americans are impacted by Parkinson’s Disease, though as many as 10 million people worldwide may also be affected by the neurodegenerative condition. It is the fastest-growing neurological disorder.

Parky leverages Apple’s Movement Disorder API tool, which was validated in a 343-patient study published in Science Translational Medicine last year. 

“As a woman-founded, non VC-backed company based in Turkey, receiving our first 510(k) clearance is a huge milestone for us. We believe Parky will bring great value to the Parkinson’s Disease community as an easily scalable and data-driven product,” Yagmur Selin Gulmus, founder of h2o therapeutics, said in a statement. 

Parky has two other digital therapeutic products in its pipeline based on wearable devices. The company plans to complete its submissions to the FDA in 2023. Its digital therapeutics are focused on mobile technologies, including AI and augmented reality (AR). H2O aims to make real-time human data a handy tool for disease management.

From The Washington Post

This is a terrific article about exercise and Parkinson’s

Parkinson’s patients and researchers search for exercise ‘prescription’

By Marlene Cimons

November 26, 2022 at 7:05 a.m. EST

Retired running coach Bob Sevene, 79, struggled after his 2019 Parkinson’s disease diagnosis. The longtime runner suddenly began leaning to the right and was unable to straighten up. He started wearing a back brace and using a walker.

A year ago, Sevene began twice-weekly exercise classes designed for Parkinson’s patients that include high-intensity bouts of noncontact boxing. He also started daily 25-minute speed sessions on a stationary bike and running brief sprints in the hallway outside his apartment. Read the rest of the story here.

More Good Stuff

ABBV-951 Found to Help Control Motor Symptoms in Phase 3 Trial

November 28, 2022

ABBV-951, a continuous infusion formulation of levodopa/carbidopa that’s administered under the skin, improved “on” time and decreased “off” time when compared with standard oral therapy in people with advanced Parkinson’s disease.

Those are the results of a randomized Phase 3 clinical trial testing the experimental formulation in more than 170 patients.

The findings suggest that ABBV-951 “can control motor symptoms and reduce motor fluctuations in patients with advanced Parkinson’s disease. Read more here.

Michael J Fox receives an Academy Award

If you haven’t seen it yet, you have to watch Michael J Fox’s acceptance speech last week when he received the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award. No one has done more for our community than he has. I laughed and I cried as I watched this. I am sure you will too.

Have a great weekend!