Blood Test Developed for Alzheimer’s

A diagnostic blood test for Alzheimer’s disease has been developed by OPKO Health Inc. The test, designed to detect elevated levels of antibodies unique to the disease,was approximately 95 percent accurate in initial testing. The test could be helpful in identifying patients for clinical trials for new Alzheimer’s drugs, as well as to confirm the diagnosis in a clinical setting.

The novel Alzheimer’s disease-specific antibodies were discovered using a proprietary platform being developed by OPKO that appears to be capable of identifying such biomarkers for any disease to which the immune system reacts, including cancer, autoimmune disease, neurodegenerative and infectious diseases. Additional studies required for regulatory approval and commercial use will be performed by OPKO.