Fox Trial Finder Connects Willing Volunteers to Parkinson’s Clinical Trials

Nearly 80 percent of clinical trials face recruitment challenges, significantly increasing costs and delaying progress toward breakthroughs.  The Parkinson’s Action Network (PAN) has historically worked to enhance recruitment efforts for clinical trials, including being part of the joint organizational effort behind PDtrials.org. 

The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research is now taking on this challenge in a new way, to help reduce the length and costs of Parkinson’s clinical trials, and help bring new treatments to patients faster.

Introducing: Fox Trial Finder

Fox Trial Finder was created to help increase the flow of willing participants — both people with Parkinson's and control participants who do not have Parkinson's — into clinical trials that need them, speeding progress toward breakthrough therapies and a cure. 

Here at PAN, we are working with policymakers on ways to more quickly and efficiently bring treatments and therapies to people with Parkinson’s.  Having effective clinical trials is also a part of this process, which is why we are letting you know about this new program.

How Does It Work?

By harnessing state-of-the-art technology, the Fox Trial Finder website makes it easier for volunteers and research coordinators to find each other.  By creating a profile at Fox Trial Finder, potential volunteers are alerted when new trials begin recruiting efforts to find participants who match their criteria. Fox Trial Finder then matches volunteers with trials and facilitates the connection with the trial team, all with privacy protections in place.

With an estimated 500,000 to1.5 million Americans with Parkinson’s (and upwards of 5 million worldwide) there are abundant opportunities for the Parkinson’s community to contribute to important and potentially groundbreaking research.  The active involvement of Parkinson's patients and their loved ones in clinical research is vital to finding a cure.

Where can I sign up?

To learn more about Fox Trial Finder, register a personal profile, and find potential trial matches using their privacy-protected system, click here.  If you have specific questions about the program that aren’t answered on the website, you can call Claire Meunier at the Michael J. Fox Foundation at 212.509.0995 (x240).