Parkinson’s goes 'Back to the Future'
Celebrities and Wall Streeters have flocked to the Michael J. Fox Foundation's annual star-studded gala ever since Fox, who has Parkinson's, first held it 19 years ago after starting the foundation. The 900 attendees at this year's event, held Saturday night at the New York Hilton, donated $4.6 million, bringing the total raised by the gala over its history to $88 million.
Emcee Denis Leary quipped on Twitter that this year's take would have been $8 million if board member Ryan Reynolds had just brought his wife, Blake Lively.
Next year, the Fox Foundation expects to surpass $1 billion donated to research. And 2020 will bring results from experimental drugs it has helped develop: Phase II results are expected from Prothena and Biogen, both targeting a protein called alpha-synuclein; from Denali targeting the Parkinson's gene LRRK2; and from Sanofi in the 5% to 10% of Parkinson's patients whose disease appears to be caused by a mutation in the gene for glucocerebrosidase, or GBA.
While Fox used to stand up during jam sessions at the event, his Parkinson's symptoms now mean he needs a chair. According to a well-placed source — STAT's Matthew Herper was in attendance this weekend — he joined Sheryl Crow for a a rollicking cover of Chuck Berry's "Rock and Roll Music," harkening back to when he "invented" rock and roll by playing another Chuck Berry song in 1985's "Back to the Future." Fox was playing a custom-built green guitar that he plans to get signed by past musical guests at the gala (they include Dave Matthews, The Who, James Taylor) and auction off at next year's event.
Emcee Denis Leary quipped on Twitter that this year's take would have been $8 million if board member Ryan Reynolds had just brought his wife, Blake Lively.
Next year, the Fox Foundation expects to surpass $1 billion donated to research. And 2020 will bring results from experimental drugs it has helped develop: Phase II results are expected from Prothena and Biogen, both targeting a protein called alpha-synuclein; from Denali targeting the Parkinson's gene LRRK2; and from Sanofi in the 5% to 10% of Parkinson's patients whose disease appears to be caused by a mutation in the gene for glucocerebrosidase, or GBA.
While Fox used to stand up during jam sessions at the event, his Parkinson's symptoms now mean he needs a chair. According to a well-placed source — STAT's Matthew Herper was in attendance this weekend — he joined Sheryl Crow for a a rollicking cover of Chuck Berry's "Rock and Roll Music," harkening back to when he "invented" rock and roll by playing another Chuck Berry song in 1985's "Back to the Future." Fox was playing a custom-built green guitar that he plans to get signed by past musical guests at the gala (they include Dave Matthews, The Who, James Taylor) and auction off at next year's event.
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