Shifting focus to slow the progression of Parkinson's in 2026

This article is based on an interview with Dr Jan Stoehr, head of movement disorders in neuroscience discovery research at AbbVie, who shared key insights into how scientific research into Parkinson's is changing. For many years, treatments have focused primarily on managing symptoms after they appear. While these therapies make a meaningful difference, they do not address the biological processes driving the condition and can become less effective over time as it advances. Scientists are now moving upstream to target the underlying biology so that they can potentially slow or delay progression alongside managing daily symptoms. In Parkinson's, a specific protein misfolds, clumps together, and disrupts how nerve cells communicate in the brain. Once this process begins, it can spread across different brain regions in a domino effect. The primary goal of modern research is to intervene directly in this protein clumping process to alter the long term path of the condition. Identifying these biological changes early is essential because changes in the brain often begin years or even decades before a person experiences noticeable symptoms or receives a diagnosis. Researchers are using tools called biomarkers, which are measurable signals found in blood, spinal fluid, brain scans, and digital assessments. Combining data from multiple biomarkers allows scientists to detect early changes, track how far the condition has progressed, match candidates to suitable clinical trials, and confirm whether a trial drug is reaching its intended target. While lab research examines cells under a microscope, scientists emphasize that the daily experience of people living with Parkinson's and their caregivers must guide every study. Beyond movement symptoms like tremors, people may experience non motor symptoms such as memory changes, low mood, or hallucinations. Understanding these varied experiences ensures that research focuses on outcomes that truly matter, such as maintaining personal independence and reducing the daily burden on families. Developing these new treatments presents significant challenges. Parkinson's is biologically complex and affects every person differently, meaning there is no single pathway to target. Because the condition progresses slowly and varies between individuals, testing new therapies requires large, carefully designed clinical trials conducted over long periods to prove that a treatment truly alters the trajectory of the condition.