FDA clears first blood test for detecting Alzheimer’s

The Food and Drug Administration May 16 announced it cleared the first blood test to diagnose Alzheimer’s disease. The test, created by Fujirebio Diagnostics, only requires a blood draw, making it less invasive and easier for patients to access, the agency said. The test measures two proteins in the blood, pTau217 and β-amyloid 1-42, and calculates the numerical ratio between them. The ratio is correlated to the presence or absence of amyloid plaques in the patient’s brain — an indicator of Alzheimer’s. The blood test reduces the need for a positron emission tomography scan.