THE DRUGS DON’T WORK
There have been 300 trials of drugs to lower amyloid protein, at an estimated research cost of $42.5 billion. These amyloid-lowering drugs have been tested on an estimated 185,000 participants. All have failed. the New York Times reported “An Alzheimer’s Treatment fails: we don’t have anything now. More than 300 failed trials. With high hopes, drugs to fight brain plaques were tested in people genetically destined to develop dementia. The drugs failed.” In a normal world, if you test a theory 300 times and it fails 300 times you discard the theory – that amyloid plaques in the brain are what causes Alzheimer’s. Even though some of drugs, which have nasty side-effects, have lowered amyloid protein, with one reducing brain shrinkage by 2%, none have shown any actual clinical benefit. We believe this theory is a red herring. Targetting amyloid deposits in the brain is misguided. Studies giving B vitamins have reduced brain shrinkage by up to 73%, with very clear clinical benefit as in 30% of trial participants ending the year with a clinical dementia rating of zero. But B vitamins aren’t patentable so big pharma doesn’t want to know. Alzheimer’s is caused by multiple factors under your control. Realistically risk can be reduced by two thirds with some simple diet and lifestyle actions. It is therefore preventable. It is not reversible. It is very unlikely that there will ever be an effective drug cure.
Cummings JL, Goldman DP, Simmons-Stern NR, Ponton E. The costs of developing treatments for Alzheimer’s disease: A retrospective exploration. Alzheimer’s Dement. 2022;18:469–477. https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.12450
