San Francisco– Rune Labs and the Parkinson’s Foundation have launched a landmark clinical study aimed at accelerating the development of precision diagnostics and therapies for Parkinson’s disease (PD) by combining genetic testing with real-world, wearable-tracked data. The initiative represents the first clinical program designed to correlate genetic mutations with digital biomarkers in PD patients, potentially revolutionizing treatment strategies and clinical trial design.
The study brings together Rune Labs’ StrivePD software platform—an AI-driven tool that uses Apple Watch and iPhone to monitor motor symptoms—and the Parkinson’s Foundation’s PD GENEration initiative, which offers free genetic testing and counseling to individuals diagnosed with PD. The program is supported by the Global Parkinson’s Genetics Program (GP2), part of the Aligning Science Across Parkinson’s initiative funded by The Michael J. Fox Foundation.
Participants in the study will track their symptoms using StrivePD’s passive and self-reported data collection features, which include real-time monitoring of tremor, dyskinesia, mood, medication intake, and daily routines. Simultaneously, they will undergo genetic testing to identify PD-related variants. The integration of these datasets aims to uncover previously unexplored connections between genetic profiles and disease manifestation, helping to define disease subtypes and match patients to appropriate therapies more effectively.
Brian Pepin, CEO of Rune Labs, said the study could significantly advance personalized treatment approaches. “Combining genetic insights with real-world, AI-driven data allows us to move from average-patient dosing toward genome-matched therapy recommendations,” he said. “This level of precision could reshape the future of Parkinson’s care.”
StrivePD is designed to address a key gap in Parkinson’s treatment: the variability of symptoms and the limited frequency of specialist visits. By delivering continuous monitoring and actionable insights, the platform empowers patients to better manage their condition while also offering researchers a clearer understanding of disease progression and treatment response.
The Parkinson’s Foundation launched PD GENEration in 2019 with the goal of making genetic information more accessible and useful for both patients and researchers. The program has since enrolled over 24,000 individuals across the Americas, the Caribbean, and Israel. The new partnership with Rune Labs marks an expansion into integrating digital data to provide a more complete picture of each participant’s Parkinson’s experience.
“This collaboration represents a critical next step in our mission to understand the complex genetic and biological factors that shape Parkinson’s,” said Dr. James Beck, Chief Scientific Officer of the Parkinson’s Foundation. “By linking genetic data with wearable-tracked symptoms, we hope to accelerate the discovery of effective treatments and empower people living with Parkinson’s to take control of their care.”
Initial results from the genotype-response study are expected in 2026. Anonymized findings will be made available through the GP2 data repository, contributing to a broader global effort to unravel the biological underpinnings of Parkinson’s disease and speed the path toward more effective treatments—and potentially, a cure.
