The Pressure to Succeed

When the stakes are high, there can be a lot of pressure. This would seem to be such a situation, as if I am right about my view of what drives Parkinson's (excess dopamine inside the dopaminergic neurons), and I don't get this clinical trial launched, it would be a major failure.

For those who understand the intricacies of drug development - from discovery to manufacturing, from data management to trial design, from selecting investigators to qualifying contractors - you understand how daunting this process is.

I should probably feel pressure. It seems reasonable that some would feel a burden. And with our novel approach leading to so many people rejecting this approach without even looking at the data, many would feed defeated by all he rejections. (I don't want to mislead; I definitely get frustrated by academics who are not interested in the data and find it easier to say no.)

But I don't feel pressure to develop RB-190. I don't fee overwhelmed by the wide range of tasks that seems to grow and grow. I'm not sure why. It's likely partly my optimistic view of life along with my nature to be stubborn. And I've been part of and often led teams that were responsible for many of the steps I need to lead now for Right Brain Bio. That experience brings enough confidence so that I can manage the risks of so many things that could go wrong in drug development

It is a privilege to be battling for the sake of those with Parkinson's. I've seen it up close. It's not a pretty road and we need to bring forward something better than the current options.

Where do I feel pressure?

When my daughter suggested I start this blog and reach out to podcasts to share my vision and start a dialog with people with Parkinson's, I thought it would be easy. I've learned it is far from easy. And this is an activity where I do feel pressure.

• The process is fascinating to me. How easily can I share that to readers who would find that interesting?
• As I learn more about the disease, how can I share insights in a form that readers can use?
• Considering that my views of the disease are opposite to the standard of care, how can I share the science that supports my views so readers find me credible?

How to build credibility

Credibility is a big deal. It took time to build that credibility when I shifted from cardiologist to regulator. And it has taken more time than I expected to build credibility as a Parkinson's "expert." One way I've done so is to publish in the academic journals Journal of Parkinson's Disease and Journal of Neurology. And I have a paper under review at another journal now.

I am approaching established Parkinson's experts about working together on additional academic publications.

I need to pursue more grants. That is part of the plan for 2027.

And I need to accept the pressure of publishing a newsletter/blog - and keep doing it. Some weeks may not be so interesting to all. Some weeks may not be interesting at all. But I've been doing this for over 2 years and this summer was recognized as a blog to follow in 2026.

It's probably okay to admit I am a bit competitive, so being ranked higher than the most of the Parkinson's focused foundations is gratifying. And as we move towards trial launch in Australia, the ParkinsonsDisease.blog newsletter will become even more important.

Your role

We've raised a significant amount of money to fund our operations to date from people who found Right Brain Bio through podcasts and our newsletter.

That means you can help conquer Parkinson's. Send this newsletter each week to 5 of your friends, and after them, send to your contacts, and after them to anyone else who may care about Parkinson's. By building the network, you will advance the project.

And let's look towards 2027 as when we will have our first clinical data showing that dopamine reduction therapy with RB-190 is the path to pursue.