Anavex Life Sciences Corp (AVXL)

[frrol]

Journalists, like most retailers speculating in biotech, often don't understand the science or scientific process they're writing about. It's long been a problem, and the internet exacerbates it. You also see a lot of examples of this phenomenon in "battery breakthrough", "fusion success", etc articles. You have to be a careful and conscientious reader. (Good advice, regardless of topic.)

Most scientific papers cite the appropriate qualifiers: "could", "requires further research", etc. Anavex is actually pretty good in this respect. You can't blame the company for someone who doesn't read a PR carefully.

You also can't blame a biotech for presenting data in the best possible light. These are companies pursuing proprietary technology, and seeking capital. It is up to the reader to, again, use their head.

Related note: I think journalism curricula need to include rigorous training in statistics.