Michael J. Fox Urges Drug Companies to Be More 'Proactive'
By: Greg Levine | Features Editor
Michael J. Fox's life changed in 1991, when the actor was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. Since then, he's used his celebrity in the fight for potential treatments and cures. In an exclusive "Squawk Box" interview with CNBC's Mike Huckman, Fox urged the pharmaceutical and biotech industry to stop "repackaging the same thing" -- before time runs out for patients like him.
Fox said one of the key prescriptions for Parkinson's is Sinamet, or generically, L-dopa, which has limited success in treating the degenerative disease -- and it's "been on the market for 40 years." Thus, the performer feels even more "frustration and urgency" at the perceived inertia in the research-to-market pipeline -- as it is "not a time-neutral situation" for sufferers.
Fox pointed out that he's "not assigning blame or castigating any individuals," but is merely imploring the industry to be more "proactive" in seeking new solutions.
