Review Casts Doubt on Leading Alzheimer's Drug Class

A major review of evidence has concluded that the leading class of Alzheimer's drugs "probably result in little to no difference" in key measures, including the severity of dementia.

This finding was central to the UK's National Health Service decision two years ago not to fund these drugs.

The review follows previous investigations that uncovered significant fraud in foundational studies for some Alzheimer's drug science.

Background: A Century-Old Disease

Alzheimer's disease was first identified in 1906 by German psychiatrist Alois Alzheimer. It is characterized by abnormal protein deposits in the brain known as amyloid plaques and tau tangles.

For decades, research has been divided between competing theories about the disease's primary cause, focusing on these amyloid deposits versus tau protein.

Challenges in Alzheimer's Research

The scientific path has been fraught with difficulty. Studies have shown that the amount of amyloid protein deposits in the brain does not correlate well with the severity of disease symptoms.

Furthermore, competitive funding models have been described as creating intense pressure on researchers to publish papers and attract new grants.

Documented Cases of Fraud

The field has been shaken by two notable cases of research fraud:

• A US researcher resigned after the retraction of a highly cited paper and questions were raised about over 20 other publications.
• An academic faced fraud charges while a pharmaceutical company they collaborated with was investigated for allegedly misleading investors.

A Neuroscientist's Warning

Matthew Schrag, a neuroscientist who helped expose fraud in Alzheimer's research, offered a stark reminder of the limits of deception in science:

"You can cheat to get a paper. You can cheat to get a degree. You can cheat to get a grant. You can't cheat to cure a disease. Biology doesn't care."