At 43, Lijo’s life took an unexpected turn when he was diagnosed with advanced Parkinson’s Disease (PD), forcing him to leave his well-paid job. His family was blindsided by the sudden onset of severe symptoms with no prior warning. The limited treatment options at this late stage, including dopamine therapy and symptom management, provided some relief but no cure. The illness also brought significant financial strain, with tremors and balance issues being his primary challenges.
Lijo’s story is not an isolated one in India, which accounts for at least 10 percent of the world’s 9.4 million Parkinson’s Disease cases—a progressive neurological disorder that impairs movement, causing tremors, stiffness, and balance issues. Across the nation, countless families endure similar heart-wrenching experiences, sharing the same challenges and uncertainties.
Moreover, India reports a higher incidence of early-onset PD cases, with nearly 40-45% of patients experiencing the onset of motor symptoms between the ages of 22 and 49.
One of the greatest challenges in managing Parkinson’s is the difficulty in detecting the disease in its early stages. Early detection is crucial because it enables more effective treatment options, helping patients maintain a better quality of life for longer.
Grifols, a Spanish pharmaceutical leader in blood plasma-derived drugs and transfusion medicine, is currently at the forefront of groundbreaking research focused on identifying early biomarkers for Parkinson’s Disease. With a repository of over 100 million plasma samples collected over nearly 15 years, Grifols is pioneering a high-tech research project that may soon revolutionise the early detection of the disease.
The Grifols PD initiative, known as ‘Chronos-PD,’ is expected to reach a significant milestone in the first half of 2025 with the completion of its pilot study.
In a recent interview with Drug Target Review, Jorg Schuttrmpf, Chief Scientific Innovation Officer at Grifols, emphasised the importance of plasma in understanding health. “Plasma, the liquid component of blood, holds crucial information about an individual’s health, with its protein composition shifting over time due to aging and disease. These changes create biomarkers that provide insights into both current and future health. By studying these longitudinal changes, Grifols aims to identify early indicators of disease before formal diagnosis,” he explained.
The Chronos-PD project is focused on analysing plasma samples to identify these early biomarkers of Parkinson’s, potentially paving the way for innovative diagnostic tools and disease-modifying treatments.
“We expect the completion of the pilot study in the first half of 2025,” Schuttrmpf confirmed.
The potential implications of this research are profound. Early detection could significantly improve patient outcomes and open the door for clinical trials testing new treatments at the disease’s earliest stages. This represents a vital step forward in managing Parkinson’s Disease, offering hope for more effective treatments and better long-term prognoses for those affected by this challenging condition.
In conclusion, the long-awaited breakthrough in the early detection of Parkinson’s Disease is now within reach, offering renewed hope for better diagnosis, treatment, and quality of life for those at risk of or living with the disease.