PHOENIX: “Research shows that very few clinical trials succeed when the underlying basic science is immature,” said Dr. Jennifer Beierlein, lead author on the paper and a fellow in the Center for Integration of Science and Industry. “We have constructed analytical models for the maturation of research on Alzheimer’s disease, specifically research on the role of accumulated amyloid proteins in Alzheimer’s affected brains. Our study shows that there are reproducible patterns to biopharmaceutical innovation, and that Alzheimer’s research is now entering a window where new therapies should begin to emerge. Our conclusion is that it would be a mistake to give up on drugs targeting amyloid proteins just as the science is becoming established.”…