Pioneering biomarkers for early Alzheimer’s disease detection
Our state-of-the-art biomarker laboratory is advancing the diagnosis and trial readiness of Alzheimer’s disease through blood-based and Cerebral Spinal Fluid (CSF)-based assays.
Biomarker testing available
Developed by Roche and Eli Lilly, the Elecsys pTau 181 test (CE marked in 2025):
- Detects Alzheimer’s pathology via a simple blood test.
- Provides scalable, non-invasive, cost-effective screening.
- Improves trial recruitment and diagnosis at earlier stages.
Our laboratory is progressing through UKAS ISO 15189 accreditation, expanding the scope of our plasma and CSF biomarker testing. This gives our partners even greater assurance in the quality, traceability, clinical robustness and scalability of our services, across clinical trials, non-interventional research, and routine clinical sample workflows.
Leadership in Biomarkers
- Running pTau-181 and pTau-217 assays and other emerging biomarkers across 600+ IONA cohort participants.
- Building a comprehensive biomarker database spanning healthy individuals and Alzheimer’s patients.
- Validating real-world use of blood-based biomarkers for early detection and prevention.
- Led by Dr Alison Green, a clinical biochemist with over 20 years’ experience in the development and evaluation of diagnostic tests for neurodegenerative diseases.
- Undertook her PhD “Brain-specific proteins in the diagnosis of dementia” at the National Hospital for Neurology.
- Has published over 100 peer reviewed papers and is a world-expert in seed amplification assays.
The future of Alzheimer’s disease prevention
The integration of biomarkers into research and clinical care represents a turning point in the fight against dementia. With early detection, the industry can:
- Identify at-risk individuals before symptoms emerge
- Enable earlier and more effective interventions
- Enhance the success of clinical trials through targeted recruitment
- Lay the groundwork for disease-modifying therapies
