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cover of episode How Fraud, Greed and Negligence Have Stymied Alzheimer’s Research and Progress Toward a Cure

How Fraud, Greed and Negligence Have Stymied Alzheimer’s Research and Progress Toward a Cure

2025/2/3
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The podcast starts by introducing the shocking thesis of Charles Piller's new book, which suggests that a significant portion of Alzheimer's research is based on fraudulent data. The discussion touches upon the staggering number of people affected by Alzheimer's and the lack of effective treatments, contrasting it with progress made against other major diseases. The rising death rates, despite advancements in other medical fields, highlights the urgency of addressing the issues within Alzheimer's research.
  • Widespread fraud in Alzheimer's research.
  • Lack of effective treatments for Alzheimer's.
  • Rising death rates from Alzheimer's despite advancements in other medical fields.
  • The complexity of Alzheimer's disease and the brain.

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Nearly seven million Americans, about one in nine people over the age of 65, live with Alzheimer’s. It’s a heartbreaking disease for those afflicted and the 11 million loved ones who are taking care of them. But despite decades of research and countless promises of a breakthrough, there are no significant treatments to stop the cognitive decline. While mortality rates for other leading causes of death like cancer and heart disease have gone down, Alzheimer’s death rates continue to rise. In his new book “Doctored”

investigative reporter Charles Piller makes the case that a wide web of fraud, greed and negligence – from individual scientists to the FDA – has derailed the search for a cure or treatment. And, he says the scientific establishment’s belief in one hypothesis of the disease, despite the lack of progress, has shut out other promising avenues. We’ll talk with Piller about his new book and what it reveals about Alzheimer’s research and the broader science landscape.

Guests:

**Charles Piller, **investigative journalist, Science magazine; author, "Doctored: Fraud, Arrogance and Tragedy in the Quest to Cure Alzheimer's"