New Parkinson's Foundation PD Trial Navigator Program Identifies 2,000+ Potential Participants for NEULARK Clinical Trial

NEW YORK, May 26, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- To accelerate Parkinson's disease (PD) research and connect eligible participants with clinical trials, the Parkinson's Foundation announced the first major milestone of its new PD Trial Navigator pilot program. Aiming to advance the process of matching people living with PD with relevant studies, the PD Trial Navigator initiative identified more than 2,000 potential participants for screening into the NEULARK trial, sponsored by Neuron23.

"The launch of PD Trial Navigator marks a pivotal moment in accelerating Parkinson's research by directly connecting potential participants with groundbreaking clinical trials," said Executive Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer of the Parkinson's Foundation, James Beck, PhD. "The initial success with genetically identifying individuals for the NEULARK trial is encouraging, as the combined power of the PD GENEration database and Neuron23's precision tools, has already significantly streamlined the prescreening process for this investigational treatment."

Connecting Participants to Clinical Trials

Since its 2019 launch, the PD GENEration: Powered by the Parkinson's Foundation study has provided genetic testing and counseling to more than 30,000 people with Parkinson's, empowering them to better understand their genes and family risks. The PD Trial Navigator pilot program takes self-advocacy one step further, providing the opportunity for access to personalized clinical trials based on a person's unique biology and genetics.

A 2024 survey of nearly 4,000 PD GENEration participants reported nearly 85% of respondents were interested in being contacted about future clinical trials, with 64% also interested in telehealth trial participation.

The PD Trial Navigator pilot program now allows for potentially trial-eligible participants to directly connect and receive support from trained Trial Navigators, who answer questions and help participants understand the research process and requirements. If interested, participants can be directly connected with clinical trial sites.

Accelerating Recruitment = Accelerating Research

In partnership with Neuron23, one of the first studies to benefit from this program is the NEULARK trial, which is seeking potential participants with Parkinson's disease who have not yet started dopamine medications and have an overactive LRRK2 pathway, which is present in over 30% of all people with PD. Through the PD Trial Navigator program, more than 2,000 genetically eligible potential participants were identified, supporting Neuron23's precision medicine approach within the PD GENEration database. Importantly, these individuals were identified across multiple geographies, underscoring the broad reach and scalability of the program. By enabling the prescreening of genetically relevant participants, the collaboration has the potential to expand patient access and accelerate clinical trial recruitment for NEULARK.

"We believe the future of Parkinson's treatment lies in understanding the biology driving each person's disease and connecting the right individual to the right therapies earlier," said Arash Rassoulpour PhD, Chief Operating Officer, Neuron23. "Through our collaboration with the Parkinson's Foundation and PD GENEration, we're helping identify individuals whose Parkinson's may be driven by LRRK2 biology and creating a pathway for them to participate in precision medicine research. Efforts like this are essential to advancing a new generation of targeted therapies aimed at slowing the progression of Parkinson's disease."

The Parkinson's Foundation works to improve care for people with PD and advance PD research toward a cure. To learn more about or to enroll in PD GENEration, visit Parkinson.org/PDGENEration.

About the Parkinson's Foundation

The Parkinson's Foundation makes life better for people with Parkinson's disease by improving care and advancing research toward a cure. In everything we do, we build on the energy, experience and passion of our global Parkinson's community. Since 1957, the Parkinson's Foundation has invested more than $513 million in Parkinson's research and clinical care. Connect with us on Parkinson.org, Facebook, X, Instagram or call 1-800-4PD-INFO (1-800-473-4636).

About Parkinson's Disease

Affecting more than one million Americans, Parkinson's disease is the fastest growing neurological disorder in the world. It is associated with a progressive loss of motor control (e.g., shaking or tremor at rest and lack of facial expression), as well as non-motor symptoms (e.g., trouble sleeping, loss of smell and depression). There is no cure for Parkinson's and nearly 90,000 new cases are diagnosed each year in the U.S.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Melissa Nobles Gonzalez
Parkinson's Foundation
[email protected]
305.537.9134

SOURCE Parkinson's Foundation