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The Parkinson's Action Network (PAN) says that "in the scientific community, basic research uncovers basic scientific discoveries, but translational research is what translates those discoveries into therapies, medicines, and, hopefully, cures."
http://www.parkinsonsaction.org/news...ased-focus-nih

Today, March 20, 2012, advocates spoke to Congress in support of the newly created National Center for the Advancement of Translational Sciences (NCATS) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). This type of research coordinates the efforts of all stakeholders in the drug development process – including patient advocacy organizations, the Food and Drug Administration, and other agencies outside of NIH – to more quickly move discoveries from the lab into the next generation of therapies.

Todd Shearer, CEO of the Michael J. Fox Foundation, testified before Congress saying:

To produce one new drug for Parkinson’s disease takes upwards of 15 years and one billion dollars — and the timeline and costs remain unknown for the development of a disease-modifying therapy, because we don’t have one yet..

http://www.michaeljfox.org/newsEvent...cle.cfm?ID=539

PAN urges the Parkinson's community to keep abreast of this topic and to voice our support. The amount of time and money it takes to approve a drug or treatment is not the biggest concern; it's getting the drug that far along in the approval process without it dying a premature death.

For more info. and to easily contact your congressional leaders, visit PAN's website at http://www.parkinsonsaction.org/