Pipeline Insights: Parkinson's is the fourth highest non cancer target with 444 drugs in global development

Each year, the marketing intelligence company, Pharmaprojects, a part of the Citeline group, produces an analysis of the R&D pipeline across pharmaceutical and biotech companies. Among many other insights, they assess the number of drugs in development by disease target. Most of the top 25 targets are for cancer, with Parkinson’s at number 11. This is already encouraging, but if the cancer indications are removed, Parkinson’s comes in at number four with 444 drugs in development; behind obesity, type 2 diabetes and Alzheimer’s. With large companies like Roche, Abbvie, Biogen, Bayer and Lilly involved; together with more mid-tier firms such as UCB, Lundbeck and Bial, there is an impressive array of expertise and resource focused on drugs to relieve symptoms, and to slow or stop the progression of Parkinson’s. Source: Pharma R&D Annual Review 2026, Citeline Inc.