Inside STAT: To treat Alzheimer’s, an ambitious biotech sees promise in ‘young blood’

AN ALKAHEST RESEARCHER ANALYZES CELL ACTIVITY IN A SAMPLE. (ALKAHEST)

The FDA has recently cracked down on claims about using "young blood" transfusions to treat a slew of diseases, saying such treatments have "no clinical benefit" — but one Silicon Valley company is doing some serious science to show that they do. Alkahest, a startup led by Genentech alums, is already in a mid-stage trial testing its blood plasma elixir in patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's. Independent experts who talked to STAT's Rebecca Robbins praised the company for pursuing rigorous research, but had concerns of whether the treatment will be effective. More for STAT Plus subscribers here.