Sep 16, 2026 · 27 min
Alzheimer’s drugs offer progress after decades of disappointment
Good news about Alzheimer’s
The episode weighs modest gains from two approved treatments against research failures and a broader shift beyond amyloid.
- 1Lecanemab and donanemab can modestly slow cognitive decline for some people with early symptomatic Alzheimer’s.
- 2A retracted study and repeated treatment failures exposed the risks of treating amyloid as the whole explanation.
- 3Researchers are widening the search to tau, inflammation, vascular health, and possible indirect effects from GLP-1 drugs.
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Dylan Scott explains why two FDA-approved drugs mark genuine progress while offering only limited slowing, not reversal, of cognitive decline.
The brief
Alzheimer’s gradually erodes memory, identity, and everyday independence, making the search for effective treatment urgent even when scientific progress is slow.
Charles Piller traces how amyloid plaques and tau tangles shaped the field, then examines how a foundational study’s alleged image fraud damaged confidence in the dominant theory.
The good news is narrow but real: FDA-approved lecanemab and donanemab can slow cognitive decline for some people with early symptomatic Alzheimer’s, though they do not reverse the disease.
The field is broadening beyond amyloid toward tau, chronic inflammation, and vascular health, while GLP-1 drugs raise a separate question about reducing risk indirectly.
The episode’s sharpest warning comes when a proposed surgical approach and intriguing videos invite hopes of reversal before evidence can support them.
Dylan Scott and Sean conclude that Alzheimer’s may be treatable through several pathways, but cautious progress is not the same as a cure.
Featuring
Charles Piller
Food and Drug AdministrationListen to the full episode and explore every guest, topic, and moment on PodLume.