Ann

As an advanced patient [balance and arthritis render me useless when off] , i agree with you completely. Perhaps [especially in cases of gene therapy and other brain surgeries] they know they will get better results with less advanced, thus allowing them to go forward and get approved.

IMHO that's a flaw - unfair and should be illegal. There are legitimate reasons to eliminate people from trials, but advanced patients obviously are more in need of relief and scientists who discriminate solely on what stage a person is in is hard to accept.