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Alzheimer’s Blood Tests Advance With Finger-Prick Trial Nearing Full Enrollment

Researchers seek to show inexpensive biomarker panels can match gold‑standard imaging or spinal‑fluid tests.

Overview

  • GAP’s Bio‑Hermes‑002 study has enrolled 883 of 1,000 participants across 25 sites in the UK, US and Canada, with more than 360 already completing the test.
  • The trial uses a finger‑prick plasma separation card that can be stored without refrigeration and shipped at ambient temperature for lab analysis.
  • Investigators will assess pTau217, GFAP and NfL in capillary blood and benchmark results against PET, MRI and other blood and digital measures.
  • Separately, EU pilots of the 2D‑BioPAD device in Finland, Greece and Germany are testing a graphene sensor designed to read up to five biomarkers from a small blood sample in about 30 minutes.
  • Neither approach is ready for routine screening; 2D‑BioPAD expects performance comparisons by end‑2026, and Bio‑Hermes‑002 targets completion in 2028 as early therapies increase the value of detecting disease sooner.