Study using pTau217 assay finds more than one in 10 adults over age 70 may be eligible for treatments to slow cognitive decline.
A blood test powered by ALZpath Inc’s proprietary pTau217 antibody has enabled researchers to conduct a large-scale population study on Alzheimer’s disease prevalence, demonstrating the feasibility of deploying blood-based biomarker testing at scale.
The study, published in Nature and conducted by researchers at University of Gothenburg (Sweden), King’s College London (UK), and Stavanger University Hospital (Norway), analyzed more than 11,000 blood samples from over 9,000 participants in Norway. The research used the Simoa ALZpath pTau217 Assay, run on the Quanterix Simoa platform, to detect Alzheimer’s disease neuropathological changes (ADNC) through a simple, non-invasive blood test.
Results showed that more than one in 10 adults over age 70 may be eligible for treatments to slow cognitive decline. The study found that ADNC prevalence increases with age—from just under 8% among individuals aged 65–69 to approximately 65% in those over 90.
Among participants over age 70, ADNC was detected in 60% of individuals with dementia, in nearly one-third of those with mild cognitive impairment, and in over 20% of the cognitively unimpaired.
“We are proud to support this important research conducted by teams at Banner Sun Heath Research Institute, University of Gothenburg, Kings College London, and Stavanger University,” says Mike Banville, chief executive officer of ALZpath, in a release. “As more diagnostics companies integrate the ALZpath pTau217 antibody into their blood-testing platforms, the opportunity for earlier, more globally accessible detection continues to grow.”
The study was co-authored by Dr Nicholas Ashton of Banner Sun Health Research Institute. The use of pTau217 blood tests in this population-based research supports earlier detection and treatment eligibility assessment, according to ALZpath.
“Broad adoption of blood tests will help clinicians intervene at the earliest possible stages of disease,” says Banville in a release.
The study demonstrates how blood-based biomarker analysis can be deployed for population-level research, potentially supporting wider implementation of early Alzheimer’s detection strategies in clinical practice.
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