[ExI] Jaw-dropping CWRU Alzheimer's breakthrough?

[Adrian Tymes]

On Sat, Feb 25, 2012 at 11:41 AM, Jeff Davis <jrd1415 at gmail.com> wrote:
> Perhaps you see where this is going.  Did Landreth conceal the
> bexarotene results for 2-3 years in order to use the time to lock down
> his "ownership" of bexarotene as a treatment for Alzheimer's?

More likely, it was the bog-standard combination of:

* Further tests to confirm his findings.  Preaching about this kind of
thing far and wide, when it turns out not to work, has often been a
career ending mistake for many.  (There are notable exceptions, but
they are exceptions.)

* Peer review to make sure what he says is legit, that it's clearly
communicated (or at least that efforts to clarify things are made - not
that they always work), and so on.

* The standard inertia of publishing (which can add 6-12 months, or
more, by itself).

* Executive meetings by his funders - some of whom are probably
far greedier than he, and may have tried to lock ownership to
themselves, screwing Landreth out of any compensation or credit.
If this happened, Landreth may have had to carefully weasel through
contracts - and carefully remind said executives that he did NOT
sign a "my firstborn belongs to you but you never have to pay me a
cent" contract in blood, thank you kindly - before he could tell the
world without being buried in frivolous lawsuits.  That takes time.

* Other work obligation getting in the way.  He is not a billionaire
*yet*, so he still has to pay bills like any working joe.

Never assume malice where mere incompetence - especially
organizational incompetence - will adequately explain.