Opinion: Finding new treatments for Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s shouldn’t be up to pharma alone

Pharmaceutical giants forming venture capital groups is an interesting twist in drug development. We need innovative approaches like that to help create new medications. But they shouldn’t come just from the pharma industry. Personal sacrifice, political will, and a shared commitment to the public good must also play roles.

As a 50-year-old living with Parkinson’s disease, I have a vested interest in finding better treatments and cures for neurologic diseases. While some progress has been made with treating symptoms of Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease, we still that slow early this month. It plans to invest at least a quarter of this in biotech firms working on treatments for neurological diseases, which affect tens of millions of people worldwide. That eased some of my concerns about the company’s decision to related to neurological diseases.