Larry Goldstein, Professor, UCSD
Chapters:
00:00 How big a setback is the Biogen failure?
04:34 Field now split on amyloid hypothesis
12:32 Are there any new tools helping out?
19:51 Alzheimer’s was considered easier than cancer
23:56 Better at diagnosis?
There are drug trial failures. And there are drug trial failures.
The recent move by drug giant Biogen to halt their Alzheimer’s drug has not only been a setback for the company—their stock fell precipitously on the news—it’s also been a major setback for the whole research community focused on this disease. The Biogen trial was one of the last of the major drug companies with high hopes for a significant therapeutic step forward for the neurodegenerative disease. The last five years has seen one big pharma players after another throw in the towel.
Larry Goldstein joins us today to look at the field and give his assessment. He’s been studying Alzheimer’s at his lab at UC San Diego for a number of years. His number one takeaway? Let’s move on from all eggs in the amyloid hypothesis basket—something he did years ago.
Have we made any progress in ten years? Are there any cool new tools on the bench? And have we improved diagnoses at least?
