Neurochem's Risky Bet

Canadian drugmaker Neurochem(NRMX Quote) will soon put the leading scientific theory behind Alzheimer's disease to a major clinical test.

The theory -- dubbed the "beta-amyloid hypothesis" -- says that Alzheimer's is caused by protein plaques that accumulate in the brain, damaging and eventually killing nerve cells. These plaques consist of sticky protein fragments called beta-amyloid.

If a drug could be found that stops or slows the formation of beta-amyloid plaques -- or even clears them from the brain -- it might halt or even reverse the loss of memory and cognitive function that is the devastating mark of Alzheimer's.

That drug would be a super-blockbuster, easily generating billions of dollars in sales. ...