At risk for Alzheimer’s disease? 2 new blood tests could detect it early – here’s how they do it

New blood tests from Hong Kong-based Cognitact and US-based Quest could detect Alzheimer’s disease early, giving people a chance to work on interventions

Both tests deliver an easier and cost-effective way to help form a diagnosis, but one doctor asks what support will be in place for newly diagnosed patients

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New blood tests developed in Hong Kong and the US deliver an easier, less invasive and more cost-effective way to detect Alzheimer’s disease early. Photo: Shutterstock

Published: 4:15am, 2 Oct 2023

This is the 21st instalment in a series on dementia, including the research into its causes and treatment, advice for carers, and stories of hope.

In July, Cognitact, a biotech start-up at The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, launched PlasmarkAD, a blood test for early detection of Alzheimer’s disease (AD).

The same month, US-based Quest introduced the first-to-market consumer-initiated blood test for AD risk assessment.

Both are blood-based biomarker tests.

PlasmarkAD is a “groundbreaking” approach that goes beyond traditional biomarkers, says professor Amy Fu Kit-yu, from Cognitact’s team.

She explains that it uses blood-based protein biomarkers to detect and assess the processes associated with the disease, including, for example, neurodegeneration, inflammation and vascular functions.

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Decoding dementia

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