At the age of 29, Guillaume Brachet loses his \u201cinfinity\u201d: he is diagnosed with Parkinson\u2019s disease. Guillaume is in the middle of life, full of energy, with a young family and many dreams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The diagnosis of Parkinson\u2019s has been confirmed. \u201cComing out\u201d to his friends and family is difficult. His mother wants to take a vacation trip with him \u201cwhile he still can.\u201d But Guillaume is far from giving up. In his book, he takes us on his journey full of initiative and entrepreneurial spirit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Why did Guillaume develop Parkinson\u2019s disease? Why already at 29, rather than at 58, like most patients? These are difficult questions. Parkinson\u2019s has so many causes that it is impossible to identify a single \u201ccorrect\u201d one, and Guillaume realizes that, as a patient, this ultimately does not matter, because it does not change the reality of having the disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The typical symptoms of Parkinson\u2019s disease only become apparent once a large proportion of neurons has already died. In Guillaume\u2019s case, his daughter asks him in the morning whether he is angry with her: like many patients, Guillaume can no longer control his facial expressions. This loss of facial expression is an important symptom of Parkinson\u2019s disease, which inevitably leads to a certain degree of isolation, because those around us often misinterpret it unfairly as a lack of intelligence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A scientific conference pulls Guillaume out of his lethargy. He no longer wants to see himself as a victim and wants to actively fight against Parkinson\u2019s disease; if necessary, with a drug he develops himself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Guillaume dives into the scientific literature and identifies a promising drug candidate. However, turning it into an approved medication requires a great deal of money and time. To launch the development process, Guillaume organizes a sporting event: he rows upstream along the Loire River. With the funds raised, he is able to carry out initial experiments and feels he is on the right track\u2014the drug concept could work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Guillaume Brachet, the pharmacist, becomes a young entrepreneur and builds a startup team. He knows that a potential cure for his disease will only become reality through solid scientific methods, and therefore he names the company CXS Therapeutics: curatio ex scientia\u2014healing through science. Guillaume develops a drug at full speed, while he still can.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cParkinson at 30\u201d is a book that gets under your skin. We experience Guillaume Brachet\u2019s hope and tears, and can only hope that his dream will come true\u2014that he will succeed in developing a cure for Parkinson\u2019s disease, and perhaps even use it to heal himself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The book \u201cParkinson \u00e0 30 ans\u201d is available in French from the publisher Leduc: www.editionsleduc.com\n. www.editionsleduc.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n