Michael J. Fox: Thank you for the Medal of Freedom. Now, let's find a cure for Parkinson's.
Thanks to a gusher of recent research breakthroughs, scientists now understand the biology of Parkinson's disease better than they ever have.
I found myself this month having the humbling, surreal experience of receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom. This is not the kind of honor I ever anticipated on my life bingo card.
But I never expected a Parkinson’s disease diagnosis, either. Or starting a foundation that bears my name, which has partnered with thousands of research labs, hundreds of biotech and pharmaceutical companies, and millions of donors to raise over $2 billion to fund critical research.
My journey continues to surprise me, but at its core it has always been about one thing: working hand in hand with a nationwide community to problem-solve and speed research toward better treatments and a cure for Parkinson’s disease.
We can find a cure for Parkinson's
That’s why I’m taking my new medal out for a spin and urging America’s elected leaders to do everything in their power to end Parkinson’s once and for all.
Last year, Congress took the first step by passing the bipartisan National Plan to End Parkinson’s Act. The Michael J. Fox Foundation helped to lay the groundwork for this opportunity, mobilizing hundreds of thousands of grassroots advocates to secure bipartisan support that led to the bill being signed into law in July as the National Parkinson’s Project.
Now, the U.S. government sits in pole position − if the incoming administration seizes this opportunity − to leverage this public-private partnership to secure better, faster results toward next-generation drugs and a cure.
Bear with me for a bit of Biology 101: Parkinson’s is a complex disease, with pathologies, risk factors and clinical symptoms that play out in multiple systems of our brains and bodies. That has made it a challenging disease to research − and even harder to live with, as I ought to know.
The current federal approach to Parkinson’s reflects this complexity. Government-funded Parkinson’s research is siloed throughout multiple federal agencies, including several National Institutes of Health institutes, the Department of Defense, Veterans Affairs and more.
It’s inefficient, meaning that American taxpayers are funding a massive scientific discovery engine with one hand while progress is held back by the other.
Meanwhile, the staggering public health and economic challenge of the disease grows: Within 15 years, the annual cost of Parkinson's disease is expected to surpass $79 billion, borne by patients, their families and the federal government through Medicare.
Research breakthroughs give me hope
Yet, I remain hopeful. Thanks to a gusher of recent research breakthroughs, scientists now understand Parkinson’s biology better than they ever have − including where it overlaps more than previously believed with other brain diseases, including Alzheimer’s.
This brings unprecedented clarity to where scientific collaboration can be most effective and yield the fastest gains.
The Fox Foundation has always embraced risk and taken a pragmatic approach, working to find solutions to biomedical research challenges traditionally deemed intractable. We’ve developed public-private partnerships that bring together academic and industry researchers, payers, regulators, and patients and families to drive results that have revolutionized the Parkinson’s research space.
These include, to name a few, a transformed understanding of Parkinson’s genetics, a crucial Parkinson’s biomarker discovered in 2023 and standing armies of clinical trial participants. It is no exaggeration to call this a watershed moment for the field.
The National Parkinson’s Project in turn offers the incoming administration the chance to enact a “whole-of-government” approach, streamlining and unifying the best intentions of multiple players to make faster progress. Federal investments and public-private partnerships capitalizing on this moment can achieve more than ever before.
The foundation stands ready to partner with government to accelerate and bring to market next-generation treatments to benefit the millions of Americans impacted by this disease − and, ultimately, prevent it altogether.
Parkinson’s is a solvable problem, but only if we act decisively and urgently. We have the knowledge, and we’ve built the tools. We stand ready to partner with the government, this time with unprecedented potential to deliver enormous payoffs for American families.
Elected officials pledge to make our lives better. This is a chance to make good on that promise. To the federal government, I say: I'm humbled and grateful to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
But the best prize I could receive would be your steadfast partnership, leadership and conviction to make 2025 the year we commit to ending Parkinson’s disease.
Together, we can get it done.
Michael J. Fox is an award-winning actor, bestselling author and founder of The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research. He was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease at age 29.