NEW YORK and SAN DIEGO, June 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research (MJFF) and ACADIA Pharmaceuticals announce the launch of "Parkinson's IQ + You," a series of local events across the United States in 2019 and 2020 to educate and empower patients and their care partners.

"Between its symptoms and progression, Parkinson's can present unique challenges for those of us who live with the disease, but also for our loved ones who support us," said John L. Lipp, writer, nonprofit Executive Director and person with Parkinson's. "I often say, 'I can't control my Parkinson's, but I can control how I respond to it.' Parkinson's IQ + You will offer people in the community, including me and my husband, an opportunity to learn from other patients and families and from experts in the field, so that we can turn education today into action tomorrow."

Parkinson's IQ + You will host live events to support Parkinson's families in learning more about the disease, the elements of a comprehensive care team, communication between patients and their doctors, the latest PD treatments and those in development, and the value of participating in clinical studies. The national event series is committed to amplifying a wide range of panel participants, including patients and their care partners, to reflect diverse representation from within the Parkinson's community as well as the variability of the disease itself. In addition to the interactive programming, each event will host a Parkinson's Partner Expo of tailored resources to draw connections within the local community.

"Patients are the force driving our research priorities and our urgent mission to end Parkinson's," said Todd Sherer, PhD, MJFF's chief executive officer. "The Foundation is committed to ensuring all people with Parkinson's, and their families, are empowered to make decisions about treatment and care. And we want to work side-by-side in partnership with patients to advance Parkinson's research."

Community Events Coming to a City near You

Parkinson's IQ + You will visit multiple cities across the United States in 2019 and 2020, bringing full-day events and a Parkinson's Partner Expo connecting participants with local community resources. The event is designed to support Parkinson's patients at every stage of disease and their care partners. Free registration, which includes complimentary breakfast and lunch, is available at michaeljfox.org/PDIQ. The 2019 events will be hosted by Larry Gifford, a person with Parkinson's and podcast host of "When Life Gives You Parkinson's."

Confirmed events are as follows:

• Atlanta, Georgia: Saturday, September 14
• Southern California: Saturday, December 14
• Phoenix, Arizona: Saturday, January 11

Events will include interactive panels and sessions on understanding Parkinson's, living well with the disease, the latest updates on research advances and how to get involved in clinical research. During "If I Knew Then What I Know Now," a patient and care partner will share their personal strategies and anecdotes on living well with PD from diagnosis onward. To illustrate the breadth of medical professionals who treat all aspect of Parkinson's, "Building Your Care Team" will equip the audience with actions they can take to build the right team of experts to care for body and mind. Each event will also feature "Seeing a Movement Disorder Specialist," a live demonstration of a typical appointment with a clinician to share insights on the benefits of seeing a specialist, what to expect and how to make the most of a doctor's appointment.

Staffed throughout the day, the Parkinson's Partner Expo will gather local resources including healthcare providers from movement disorder centers, physical and speech therapists, clinical trial teams and representatives from support and advocacy groups. The Expo will also unite national Parkinson's organizations to serve patients and families with in-person opportunities to learn the latest information on the disease, tools to optimize care and ways to engage with the community. Parkinson's IQ + You will benefit from the contributions of the American Parkinson Disease Association, Caregiver Action Network, CurePSP, Inc., Davis Phinney Foundation for Parkinson's, The Parkinson Alliance, Parkinson's Foundation and Parkinson's Unity Walk, who will all be present during the Expo.

Serving the Parkinson's Community through Education

The Michael J. Fox Foundation, with support from the Parkinson's Disease Education Consortium, is committed to educating patients and families on the disease and empowering the entire community to take part in clinical research and help accelerate new Parkinson's breakthroughs.

Funding for Parkinson's IQ + You is provided by members of MJFF's Parkinson's Disease Education Consortium, including ACADIA Pharmaceuticals, Acorda Therapeutics, Adamas Pharmaceuticals, Amneal Pharmaceuticals, GE Healthcare, Kyowa Kirin, Lundbeck, Neurocrine Biosciences, Sunovion Pharmaceuticals, US WorldMeds and Voyager Therapeutics. This alliance of biotechnology and pharmaceutical firms shares the Foundation's commitment to furnishing high-quality educational resources for the Parkinson's community.

"We are honored to collaborate with The Michael J. Fox Foundation on this important project to advance education and better care for people with Parkinson's disease and their caregivers," said Rob Kaper, MD, senior vice president, global head of medical affairs at ACADIA Pharmaceuticals. "The Parkinson's IQ + You program has been uniquely designed to bring much needed support and information to the Parkinson's community. We look forward to this national series of events across the country, which will offer attendees the opportunity to interact with healthcare experts and other people with Parkinson's and their families and ask important questions about disease management."

About The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research
As the world's largest nonprofit funder of Parkinson's research, The Michael J. Fox Foundation is dedicated to accelerating a cure for Parkinson's disease and improved therapies for those living with the condition today. The Foundation pursues its goals through an aggressively funded, highly targeted research program coupled with active global engagement of scientists, Parkinson's patients, business leaders, clinical trial participants, donors and volunteers. In addition to funding more than $850 million in research to date, the Foundation has fundamentally altered the trajectory of progress toward a cure. Operating at the hub of worldwide Parkinson's research, the Foundation forges groundbreaking collaborations with industry leaders, academic scientists and government research funders; increases the flow of participants into Parkinson's disease clinical trials with its online tool, Fox Trial Finder; promotes Parkinson's awareness through high-profile advocacy, events and outreach; and coordinates the grassroots involvement of thousands of Team Fox members around the world.

For more information, visit us on the web, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

About ACADIA Pharmaceuticals

ACADIA (NASDAQ: ACAD) is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of innovative medicines to address unmet medical needs in central nervous system disorders. ACADIA has developed and commercialized a treatment for hallucinations and delusions associated with Parkinson's disease psychosis. ACADIA also has ongoing clinical development efforts in additional areas with significant unmet need, including dementia-related psychosis, schizophrenia inadequate response, schizophrenia-negative symptoms, major depressive disorder, and Rett syndrome. This press release and further information about ACADIA can be found at: www.acadia-pharm.com.

SOURCE The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research; ACADIA Pharmaceuticals

Related Links

www.michaeljfox.org