Stakeholders involved in the setup and running of Parkinson’s platform trials met in November for the second annual International PD-Platform Meeting. The result was the launch of GAPP with representatives from the UK, France, the US, Norway, and Australia.

GAPP is facilitated by a collaboration between Cure Parkinson’s and France Parkinson. It aims to accelerate progress toward finding disease-modifying treatments for Parkinson’s by strengthening coordination across platform trials worldwide.

Platform trials represent a major step forward for Parkinson’s research. By testing multiple treatments within a single, flexible trial structure, they offer a faster, more efficient path to evaluate potential disease-modifying therapies. GAPP’s purpose is to ensure these efforts work together rather than in isolation.

GAPP will share resources, align data standards, harmonise study procedures, and importantly involve people living with Parkinson’s. The hope is that GAPP will reduce duplication, support smart drug selection, and promote shared learning and insights into regulatory trends across countries. The alliance has a steering group and different working groups. They are focussed on drug preparedness, data harmonisation, biomarkers, long-term sustainability and public and patient involvement and engagement (PPIE).

A key goal of GAPP is to strengthen and coordinate global engagement with industry partners. Platform trials rely on the availability of well-prepared, promising therapeutic candidates. By aligning drug-selection approaches, and presenting a unified, international framework, GAPP aims to make it easier and more attractive for biotech and pharmaceutical companies to partner with a sequence of platforms, contribute candidate drugs, and collaborate across regions.

By connecting national initiatives into a truly global effort, GAPP aims to strengthen the scientific impact of each platform and create a clearer path from early-phase discovery to definitive late-phase trials.

GAPP aims to build a more coordinated and hopeful future for Parkinson’s research, one that will ultimately bring effective treatments to people with Parkinson’s faster.

With France Parkinson we are very proud to have created a global collaboration for Parkinson’s platform trials. This collaboration will speed up progress, improve efficiency and ultimately accelerate a cure.  Cure Parkinson’s gratefully acknowledges the generous support of the Hertford Charitable Fund and the Hobson Charity for this year’s meeting.

Helen Matthews, CEO, Cure Parkinson’s

France Parkinson is proud to take part in, and to co-coordinate, this international effort alongside Cure Parkinson’s. Only through collaboration and the sharing of international expertise will we be able to advance knowledge and strengthen research, bringing us closer to discovering treatments capable of slowing the progression of Parkinson’s disease. We would like to extend our warm thanks to Cure Parkinson’s and their sponsors for organising this second meeting in London.

Marie Fuzzati, Scientific Director, France Parkinson

The creation of the Global Alliance for Parkinson’s Platforms (GAPP) brings together leaders of major Parkinson’s platform trials from the UK, France, the US, Norway, and Australia. We will actively involve people living with Parkinson’s, share resources, align data standards, and harmonise study procedures.  GAPP will therefore reduce duplication, support smart drug selection, and promote shared learning and insights into regulatory trends across countries. 

Simon Stott, Director of Research, Cure Parkinson’s
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