Norton Rose Fulbright advises Pfizer on Parkinson’s disease research collaboration with IBM

Our New York and Washington, DC offices recently advised client Pfizer on a first-of-its-kind research collaboration with IBM to develop innovative remote monitoring solutions aimed at transforming how clinicians deliver care to patients suffering from Parkinson's disease.

The experimental approach will rely on a system of sensors, mobile devices, and machine learning to provide real-time, around-the-clock disease symptom information to clinicians and researchers. The ultimate goal is to obtain a better understanding of a patient's disease progression and medication response to help inform treatment decisions and clinical trial design, while also speeding the development of new therapeutic options.

Parkinson's disease requires ongoing adjustment to medication depending on the progression of the disease and response of the patient. The collaboration seeks to create a holistic view of a patient's well-being by seeking to accurately measure a variety of health indicators, including motor function, dyskinesia, cognition, sleep and daily activities such as grooming, dressing and eating. Insights from these data could help clinicians understand the effect of a patient's medication as the disease progresses, enabling them to help optimize the patient's treatment regimen as needed. Data generated through the system could also arm researchers with the insights and real-world evidence needed to help accelerate potential new and better therapies.

The health technology transactions team, led by Andres Liivak, included Blake Walsh.