American Thought Leaders A New Approach to Alzheimer’s? | Lou Reese
Jan 23, 2026
Lou Reese, a biotech entrepreneur and co-CEO of United Biomedical, dives into groundbreaking innovations in immunotherapy for Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. He discusses a synthetic peptide-based treatment that could revolutionize Alzheimer’s care. Lou also shares his intriguing experience with a peptide vaccine for COVID-19, which faced hurdles despite promising trial results. His insights shed light on the complex interactions between vaccine development and market competition, highlighting the need for transparency in medical research.
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Weak Evidence, Stronger Harms
- Systematic reviews show very low-certainty evidence that puberty blockers and hormones benefit minors' mental health.
- Lou Reese says evidence for harms is stronger, creating an unfavorable risk–benefit profile.
Umbrella Review Reveals Consistent Weaknesses
- Lou Reese explains they performed an umbrella review: a systematic review of systematic reviews to evaluate the field's highest-level evidence.
- This method showed consistent findings across countries that studies are methodologically weak and cannot establish causality.
Short-Term Measures After Surgery
- Lou Reese recounts a mastectomy study that only asked girls if they liked their chest a few months after surgery.
- He points out such short-term measures cannot predict long-term mental health or impacts like lost breastfeeding ability.