I wanted to let those suffering from Parkinson's and their caregivers know of a free website detailing 15 new medicines being developed for Parkinson's. The website is http://www.phrma.org.

One potential new medicine discussed is a novel cell therapy that utilizes normal human cells attached to microcarriers to enhance brain levels of dopamine, the neurotransmitter deficient in Parkinson's patients. The cells, retinal pigment epithelial cells, produce L-DOPA, a natural precursor of dopamine. The microcarriers, to which the cells are attached, enable long-term cell survival. The medicine is injected into the brain regions lacking dopamine using a surgical technique called stereotactic injection, which does not require general anesthesia.

Another free website you might go to if you are needy or are caring for a needy person is http://www.helpingpatients.org. At this site you can find out if you qualify for free medications under patient assistance programs offered by the drug manufacturers.