Top 10 Israeli strides against Parkinson’s

As many as 10 million people worldwide (one million in the United States alone) suffer the tremors, impaired balance and rigidity associated with Parkinson’s disease (PD), a chronic and progressive disorder caused by the death of nerve cells in the brain’s muscle-movement control areas. The cause is unknown and there is no cure, only medication to manage symptoms.

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Against that bleak landscape, Israeli researchers are working hard to better understand, prevent and treat the brain disorder. Here are 10 exciting examples of Israeli ingenuity that could revolutionize options for PD patients. 1. A pill for PD Azilect, a popular drug to treat PD symptoms, was innovated by Technion-Israel Institute of Technology professors John Finberg and Moussa Youdim and commercialized by Israel’s Teva Pharmaceuticals. The drug is prescribed for patients in 56 countries. Youdim, 72, is now co-director of the Technion’s Eve Topf and US National Parkinson Foundation Centers of Excellence for Neurodegenerative Diseases Research. He is one of the Israeli formulators of a next-generation drug, Ladostigil, which is still in clinical trials for both PD and Alzheimer’s patients. More...

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