The unkillable vampire approach to Alzheimer’s disease

It has endured skepticism, controversy, and outright mockery. And now the idea that the blood of the young can benefit the aged has, according to one company, demonstrated a benefit for Alzheimer’s disease.

According to Alkahest, an experimental protein cocktail derived from young blood plasma helped patients with Alzheimer’s maintain their performance on tests of cognition and function. For now, you’ll have to take Alkahest’s word for it: The company isn’t presenting full data from the Phase 2 study until the CTAD conference in San Diego in December.

That presentation will be closely watched in the nascent field. Alkahest is taking a traditional biotech approach to an idea that has captured the imaginations of screenwriters, questionable startups, and concerned regulators alike.

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