disease-modifying treatment

{{Short description|Medical treatment that alters progression of a disease by targeting its underlying cause}}

A disease-modifying treatment, disease-modifying drug, or disease-modifying therapy is a treatment that delays, slows or reverses the progression of a disease by targeting its underlying cause.{{Cite journal |last1=McFarthing |first1=Kevin |last2=Rafaloff |first2=Gary |last3=Baptista |first3=Marco |last4=Mursaleen |first4=Leah |last5=Fuest |first5=Rosie |last6=Wyse |first6=Richard K. |last7=Stott |first7=Simon R.W. |date=2022-05-24 |title=Parkinson's Disease Drug Therapies in the Clinical Trial Pipeline: 2022 Update |journal=Journal of Parkinson's Disease |volume=12 |issue=4 |pages=1073–1082 |doi=10.3233/JPD-229002 |pmc=9198738 |pmid=35527571}} They are distinguished from symptomatic treatments that treat the symptoms of a disease but do not address its underlying cause.{{Cite web |title=Symptomatic Versus Disease-Modifying Therapies for Movement Disorders - Parkinson's and Movement Disorder Foundation |url=https://pmdf.org/articles/2013-fall-Symptomatic-Versus-%20Disease-Modifying%20Therapies.php |access-date=2022-09-11 |website=pmdf.org}}