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Critical Path Institute to Participate in the 32nd Annual El Tour De Tucson Charity Cycling Event

Remarkable Parkinson’s patient rides with the C-Path cycling team in recognition of C-Path’s international role in fostering new treatments for brain diseases.

TUCSON, Ariz., November 21, 2014 – For the third consecutive year, the Arizona-based non-profit organization Critical Path Institute (C-Path) will participate in the El Tour de Tucson charity cycling event. The C-Path team includes 14 employees, along with their friends and family, riding distances of 40, 55 and 104 miles.For the 40-mile ride, C-Path’s team will be joined by Parkinson’s patient and advocate Carl Ames and his son Jordan. “I am honored to ride with the C-Path team,” says Ames, a father of five and grandfather of four. “In early 2008, I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, but I fight back daily. I have found cycling to be my favorite escape from the rigidity Parkinson’s brings.” Watch this video to learn more about Carl and his battle against Parkinson’s.C-Path is an internationally recognized, Arizona-based non-profit organization dedicated to fostering collaborative initiatives to improve the quality and efficiency of drug development. One of C-Path’s eight consortia, the Coalition Against Major Diseases (CAMD), is dedicated to streamlining the path for treatments for Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. “Since our founding in 2008,” said Dr. Diane Stephenson, CAMD’s Executive Director, “CAMD has already had a major impact in accelerating the development of new Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s therapies. To share this ride with an extraordinary patient like Carl Ames is a powerful reminder of why we’ve undertaken this effort and what we’re working towards.”Described as “America’s largest perimeter cycling event for cyclists of all ages and abilities,” El Tour de Tucson is held annually the Saturday before Thanksgiving, attracting over 9,000 cyclists from throughout the United States and around the world – including novice, intermediate, advanced and professional riders. The Special Olympics organization is El Tour de Tucson’s new primary beneficiary and title sponsor.About the Critical Path InstituteCritical Path Institute (C-Path) is an independent, non-profit organization established in 2005 with public and private philanthropic support from the Arizona community, Science Foundation Arizona and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). C-Path’s mission is to catalyze the development of new approaches that advance medical innovation and regulatory science, accelerating the path to a healthier world. An international leader in forming collaborations, C-Path has established eight global, public-private partnerships that currently include over 1,300 scientists from government and regulatory agencies, academia, patient advocacy organizations and dozens of major pharmaceutical companies. C-Path is headquartered in Tucson, Arizona. For more information, visit www.c-path.org.