$36.8 million for Parkinson's disease

The Coalition Government is making a significant investment of $36.8 million for Parkinson’s medical research through the Garvan Institute’s Australian Parkinson Mission and in Parkinson’s nurses to improve the life of people living with the disease and ultimately to find a cure for this devastating condition.

Federal Member for Mitchell, the Hon Alex Hawke MP, said Parkinson’s disease is recognised as the second most common neurodegenerative disorder in Australia.

“More than 100,000 Australians endure its progressive and debilitating symptoms – and without a medical breakthrough, this number is expected to double in 15 years,” Alex Hawke said.

“Our Government is providing $30 million over five years to the Garvan Institute of Medical Research to trial promising drugs to reduce the progression of the disease and allow people in Mitchell to live in their homes longer.” 

“The fund will double Australia’s investment in health and medical research and further enhance our global reputation for research excellence,” Alex Hawke said.

Up to 1,000 Australians from Victoria, NSW and Queensland living with Parkinson’s will test the effectiveness of four repurposed drugs, revolutionising our understanding of Parkinson’s, identifying new treatment targets and discovering new drugs.

A further $6.8 million over four years will be provided to Primary Health Networks to improve access to specialised nursing care in the community for people living with movement disorders, including Parkinson’s disease.

 The Australian Parkinson’s Mission is an international research collaboration between the Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Shake it Up Australia Foundation, The Cure Parkinson’s Trust, Michael J Fox Foundation and Parkinson’s Australia.

The mission will be rolled out nationally through leading capital city centres and extended into regional Australia, where possible, via a hub and spoke model