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Science podcast: cracking the Alzheimer’s code

The Swiss Connection science podcast
From shortwave broadcasting to a multimedia digital service – the Swiss voice in the world since 1935. SWI swissinfo.ch

Alzheimer’s has baffled researchers for decades. Drugmakers have poured billions into researching the disease but very few treatments have come on the market. This changed in July 2023 with the approval of lecanemab (Leqembi) in the US. But the drug's path to patients hasn't been smooth sailing, especially in Europe.

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I report on the Swiss pharmaceutical industry and healthcare topics such as access to medicine, biomedical innovation, and the impact of diseases like cancer. I grew up just outside San Francisco and studied international affairs with a focus on development economics and healthcare policy. Prior to joining SWI swissinfo.ch in 2018, I was a freelance journalist and a researcher on business and human rights.

I lead diverse teams of distribution specialists and multimedia journalists in creating multilingual content for a range of online platforms. I oversee the strategic development of our podcast and video products, driving innovative content creation and audience engagement. After training as a broadcast journalist at City University of London, I worked in production and on-air as a journalist or contributor for a range of prime-time TV and radio programmes at top-tier broadcasters including the BBC, NPR, Deutsche Welle, and various commercial networks.

My work is focused on making videos and podcasts about science and technology topics. I specialize in developing explainatory video formats for mobile viewing, mixing animation and documentary styles. I studied filmmaking and animation at Zurich University of the Arts and began working as a video journalist at SWI swissinfo.ch in 2004. Since then I have specialised in creating different styles of animation for our visual products.

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In this episode of ‘The Swiss Connection’External link science podcast we talk about the hope and hype surrounding the latest Alzheimer’s drugs.

The last two years have been an exciting time to be in Alzheimer’s research. Two drugs were approved by US regulators. Lecanemab, sold as Leqembi – made by US firm Biogen and Japanese firm Eisai – and donanemab, sold by Eli Lilly as Kisunla.

Experts have hailed these drugs as breakthroughs but the decision around whether to approve them and pay for them hasn’t been straightforward especially in Europe.

Join pharma and healthcare reporter Jessica Davis Plüss on the ‘The Swiss Connection’External link, where she speaks with experts about why Alzheimer’s disease has been so difficult to crack.

Find out more about the ‘The Swiss Connection’ science podcast and our other Swiss podcasts in English here, on Apple PodcastsExternal link, or SpotifyExternal link.

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