This month, I had the incredible and humbling experience of receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom—an honor I never imagined would come my way.

Just like receiving a Parkinson’s disease diagnosis came as a surprise to me. I also didn’t foresee starting a foundation in my name, which has collaborated with countless research labs, numerous biotech and pharmaceutical companies, and millions of donors, raising over $2 billion for essential research.

My path has been full of unexpected turns, but its essence has always revolved around one goal: collaborating with a vast community to accelerate research towards more effective treatments and a cure for Parkinson’s.

We can discover a cure for Parkinson’s

This is why I’m proudly showcasing my new medal and urging our elected officials to use every resource available to eliminate Parkinson’s for good.

In the previous year, Congress took a pivotal step by passing the bipartisan National Plan to End Parkinson’s Act. The Michael J. Fox Foundation played a crucial role in enabling this, mobilizing a vast number of grassroots advocates to gain bipartisan backing, leading to the bill becoming law in July as the National Parkinson’s Project.

Now, the U.S. government has a unique opportunity—if the incoming administration chooses to embrace it—to make the most of this public-private alliance to accelerate the development of next-generation drugs and ultimately find a cure.

Allow me a moment to discuss some basic biology: Parkinson’s is a multifaceted disease characterized by various pathologies, risk factors, and clinical symptoms that affect numerous systems in both our brains and bodies. This complexity makes research challenging, and I can personally attest to how difficult it is to cope with it.

The current federal strategy for addressing Parkinson’s reflects this complexity. Government-funded Parkinson’s research is fragmented across different federal agencies, including various National Institutes of Health institutes, the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs, among others.

This inefficiency means that while American taxpayers are funding a major scientific discovery framework, progress is simultaneously hindered.

Moreover, the substantial public health and economic burden of the disease is escalating: In 15 years, the annual cost of Parkinson’s disease is projected to surpass $79 billion, a burden shared by patients, their families, and the federal government through Medicare.

Recent research instills hope

Nonetheless, I remain optimistic. Due to a surge of recent research advancements, scientists now grasp the biology of Parkinson’s better than ever, including how it overlaps with other brain illnesses like Alzheimer’s.

This newfound clarity provides a blueprint for where scientific collaboration can yield the most significant and swiftest improvements.

The Fox Foundation has always taken calculated risks and has focused on pragmatic solutions to biomedical research challenges that were once considered insurmountable. We’ve built public-private partnerships that unite academic and industry researchers, funding organizations, regulators, patients, and families to achieve transformative results within Parkinson’s research.

These efforts have led to a deeper understanding of Parkinson’s genetics, the identification of a key biomarker in 2023, and a robust pool of clinical trial participants. It is truly a watershed moment for the field.

The National Parkinson’s Project offers the incoming administration a chance to implement a cohesive “whole-of-government” strategy, bringing together various stakeholders to accelerate progress. Federal investments and public-private partnerships can lead to greater achievements than ever before.

The foundation is prepared to collaborate with the government to fast-track and launch next-generation treatments that can benefit the millions of Americans affected by this disease—and eventually prevent it entirely.

Parkinson’s is a problem we can solve, but only with decisive and urgent action. We have the knowledge and have built the necessary tools. We are ready to partner with the government, at this moment of unparalleled potential for significant benefits to American families.

Elected leaders vow to enhance our lives. This is the moment to fulfill that commitment. To the federal government, I express my gratitude for receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom, but the ultimate accolade would be your unwavering partnership and dedication to making 2025 the year we strive to eradicate Parkinson’s disease.

We can accomplish this together.

Michael J. Fox is an acclaimed actor, a bestselling writer, and the founder of The Michael J. Fox Foundation, which is dedicated to Parkinson’s research. He received a diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease when he was just 29 years old.