Sergey Brin, the 38-year-old co- founder of Google Inc. (GOOG), is making strides in his quest to find a cure for Parkinson’s, a progressive disease his DNA and family history suggest may afflict him as early as 10 years from now. The advances are encouraging Pfizer Inc. (PFE) and GlaxoSmithKline Plc (GSK) to pursue a new class of medicines that may become the first to slow the progress of Parkinson’s disease in a unique collaboration that Brin is funding. Brin, who began donating to Parkinson’s research in 2005, accelerated that giving after he learned in 2008 he has a flawed gene that presents him with a 50 percent chance of getting the disease by age 70.
