Decades of research targeting amyloid‑β have crumbled as multiple studies, including a 2011 paper, were retracted for errors or fraud. The fallout underscores how Biogen’s high‑priced antibody, aducanumab, slipped through approval despite weak data.

The amyloid hypothesis began in the 1980s when plaques were linked to dementia. Researchers tested vaccines and antibodies in mice, clearing plaques but failing to halt disease in humans. Even the FDA‑approved drug lecanemab, half the price of aducanumab, offered only modest benefits and serious side effects.

Eli Lilly’s donanemab claimed a 35‑percent slowdown in early Alzheimer’s, yet severe brain swelling and bleeding marred its trials. These outcomes reveal that removing amyloid aggregates often triggers dangerous inflammation rather than restoring cognition.

Given the high cost—aducanumab at $65,000 per patient—and limited clinical gains, the industry faces a critical reckoning. Unless a safer, more effective target emerges, the amyloid‑centric strategy risks draining resources with little patient benefit.