The 20-Year Industry Secret: Redefining Neurodegenerative Treatment
January 9, 2026
In this episode of Power to the Patients, Brandon Li sits down with Dr. Gabriel Vargas, Chief Medical Officer at CuraSen Therapeutics, to explore how targeting the adrenergic system could offer both symptomatic relief and disease-modifying potential for Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and depression. From his two decades developing breakthrough therapies in neurology and psychiatry, including the migraine treatment Erenumab, Dr. Vargas breaks down translational medicine, challenges the amyloid hypothesis, and reveals why shorter clinical trials may be missing the bigger picture.
What if treating Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and other neurodegenerative diseases requires rethinking the problem entirely - not removing plaques or correcting neurotransmitter deficits, but reactivating the brain’s built-in ability to focus, remember, and repair itself?
In this episode of Power to the Patients, host Brandon Li sits down with Dr. Gabriel Vargas, Chief Medical Officer at CuraSen Therapeutics, to explore how adrenergic system modulators could offer both symptomatic relief and potential disease-modifying effects for neurodegenerative and psychiatric conditions - challenging the dominance of amyloid-focused approaches in Alzheimer's research.
So, whether you're navigating a neurodegenerative diagnosis, curious about innovative drug development, or wondering why current treatments fall short, this conversation is packed with cutting-edge science and hard-won clinical insights.
What You'll Learn:
- How translational medicine bridges preclinical science and human trials and why it’s essential for determining real-world therapeutic viability
- Why the adrenergic system may unlock both symptomatic improvement and long-term disease-modifying potential for neurodegenerative disorders
- How pairing beta-2 agonists with peripheral beta-blockers enables brain-selective targeting while reducing systemic side effects
- Why direct agonist therapies may succeed where SSRIs and amyloid-focused drugs fall short, especially in severe neurodegenerative states
- The clinical difference between symptomatic relief and true disease modification, and why both matter to patients and caregivers
- How PTRS (Probability of Technical & Regulatory Success) guides strategic decisions, regulatory alignment, and investment in new drug development
About the Guest:
Dr. Gabriel Vargas is Chief Medical Officer at CuraSen Therapeutics and a physician-scientist with over 20 years of experience in early-stage drug development, with particular expertise in neurology and psychiatry. Holding an MD/PhD from UC Irvine, Dr. Vargas has led translational medicine initiatives at industry leaders including Hoffmann-La Roche and Amgen, where he spearheaded the development of Erenumab for migraine - a breakthrough therapy approved by the FDA in 2018.
Episode Resources:
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