Summary: Quest Diagnostics expanded its AD-Detect portfolio of Alzheimer’s tests with the addition of a p-tau217 biomarker test for early Alzheimer’s diagnosis.
Takeaways:
- Incorporating the new p-tau217 test into Quest’s AD-Detect portfolio is designed to enhance the accuracy of early Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis.
- With a network of 2,000 patient service centers, Quest’s blood tests for Alzheimer’s risk assessment are aimed at being more accessible.
- Quest’s focus on evolving diagnostics, including blood-based tests, reflects a broader trend towards personalized and early intervention strategies in managing neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s.
Quest Diagnostics launched a new blood biomarker test for phosphorylated tau 217 (p-tau217), the latest addition to its AD-Detect portfolio of blood tests for assessing the risk of Alzheimer’s Disease.
P-tau217 for Alzheimer’s Diagnosis
P-tau217 is a biomarker associated with Alzheimer’s disease (AD), supported by research as useful for an early diagnosis of AD.
AD-Detect Blood Tests
The AD-Detect portfolio of blood tests for assessing Alzheimer’s risk also includes testing for an array of AD biomarkers, including p-tau181 and amyloid beta (AB) proteins, as well as Apolipoprotein E (ApoE) isoform and plasma testing, for patients with cognitive impairment. With a physician’s test order, patients may provide a blood draw for testing from any of Quest’s 2,000 patient service centers in the United States. The test is expected to be available for ordering on April 26, 2024.
Quest Diagnostics and Testing for Dementia
Quest Diagnostics continually seeks to expand access for patients and providers to innovations in the field of dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease, through advanced diagnostic solutions. The addition of p-tau217 to Quest’s existing portfolio of neurology testing supports a comprehensive offering, including not only the groundbreaking use of blood tests to evaluate risk of AD, but also cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) tests to help providers assess amyloid beta 42, tau and ApoE genetic risk status.
“By expanding our test availability to include p-tau217 and other blood-based biomarkers, Quest has invested significantly in providing insights to aid risk assessment and early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s Disease,” says Kathleen Valentine, vice president and general manager, Neurology, Quest Diagnostics. “We know diagnosing AD is challenging, and believe our AD Detect services can help individuals better understand their possible risk.”
Further reading: How Amyloid Blood Test Could Transform Alzheimer’s Diagnostics
While amyloid PET imaging is an established method for aiding the diagnosis of AD, it is significantly more expensive, invasive and specialist-dependent than blood tests. Through its proprietary AD-Detect line of blood tests, Quest enables access for patients and providers to quality laboratory innovations for Alzheimer’s disease on a broad national scale.
“Testing to assess Alzheimer’s disease has changed rapidly in the last few years, and we expect this area to continue evolving,” says Michael Racke, MD, medical director of Neurology at Quest Diagnostics. “The future of assessing risk or diagnosing AD will likely include a variety of testing modalities and biomarkers, including blood, to help clinicians identify patients in the early stages of disease progression. When examined with cognitive test results, p-tau217 has the potential to aid diagnosis, and will play a valuable role in assessing patients with cognitive impairment, especially when combined with other tests.”
Scope of Dementia and Alzheimer’s
Nearly 7 million Americans have Alzheimer’s, the most prevalent dementia, a number projected to reach 14 million by 2060. New blood tests offer the potential for primary care physicians as well as specialists to identify people at risk for Alzheimer’s disease even before symptoms manifest. Roughly 77 percent of physicians say new therapies will transform Alzheimer’s into a chronic, manageable disease, according to a special report from Quest based on a survey by Harris Poll.
Recently published research in the Journal of Investigative Medicine, Frontiers in Neurology and Alzheimer’s & Dementia demonstrates the value of the company’s AD-Detect amyloid beta test in aiding risk assessment of AD.
