New Alzheimer's Blood Test Could Improve and Expedite Diagnosis

Big news out of #AAIC24 this weekend...

Blood tests that accurately and reliably detect Alzheimer’s hallmark brain changes signal a shift to simpler, more accurate, and earlier detection and diagnosis. This shift could potentially supersede current methods that are expensive, invasive, and not always accessible. Although none have yet been approved by the FDA, the most advanced tests can accurately detect brain changes associated with Alzheimer's without the need for a brain scan or spinal tap. This is big news for increasing access and understanding when it comes to this disease. 

New data from Sweden¹ presented at #AAIC24 this weekend showed that the APS2 blood test demonstrated high diagnostic accuracy for identifying AD among individuals with cognitive symptoms in primary and secondary care. This test outperformed standard clinical evaluations that do not use AD biomarkers. The study found that:

• Primary care physicians had a diagnostic accuracy of 61% after completing standard evaluations.
• Dementia specialists had an accuracy of 73% after completing standard evaluations.
• The blood test had an accuracy of 91% for correctly classifying clinical, biomarker-verified AD.

Accurate early diagnosis of AD is crucial because two monoclonal antibodies, donanemab (Kisunla) and lecanemab (Leqembi) -- both of which are administered as infusions -- are now approved by the FDA for early-stage AD. However, the use of these agents requires amyloid confirmation.  If blood biomarker tests can determine this more quickly and cost-effectively, they could significantly support recruitment for AD-related clinical trials and provide a quicker path to treatment.

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Sources:

1. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2821669