LifeArc and Global Alzheimer's Platform Foundation - Scientists test whether a finger prick blood test could be used to help diagnose Alzheimer's disease before symptoms begin

LONDON, Jan. 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- A major international research project is underway to test whether a finger prick-style blood test could be used to help diagnose Alzheimer's disease. The trial is looking at three proteins in the blood that are associated with Alzheimer's and comparing this with the current gold standard approach to diagnosing the disease that uses expensive brain scans and invasive procedures which can be inaccessible for many.

The finger prick test uses a simple plasma separation card which makes testing a lot cheaper and easier to carry out. It does not need to be refrigerated and can be stored and shipped to a laboratory for analysis at ambient temperature.

If successful, the test could offer a scalable, accessible and cost-effective way to screen for the disease which could enable earlier intervention, with a better chance of delaying the progress of Alzheimer's or the development of symptoms.

The finger prick test will be run as a part of the Global Alzheimer's Platform Foundation® (GAP)'s Bio-Hermes-002 study, which is aimed at advancing Alzheimer's disease diagnosis using blood and digital biomarkers. GAP is working in partnership with the not-for-profit medical research organisation, LifeArc, and UK Dementia Research Institute (UK DRI) with its Biomarker Factory.

To date, GAP has enrolled 883 of the 1000 participants from 25 sites across the UK, USA and Canada. This includes a mix of cognitively normal people, those with mild cognitive impairment and some with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease.  Out of this group, over 360 have completed the test.

Researchers will analyse each sample for proteins in the blood, also known as blood-based biomarkers of the disease – phosphorylated tau 217(pTau217), Glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and Neurofilament light polypeptide (NfL) – and compare the results with a variety of other tests being developed for Alzheimer's disease based on blood-based and digital biomarkers (such as speech tests, retinal scans, cognitive tests) as well as the gold standard PET scans and MRI scans.

Alzheimer's disease is currently detected using expensive scans and lumbar punctures or spinal taps. This can be invasive, costly, slow, and inaccessible for those living in areas with limited healthcare infrastructure.

Dr Giovanna Lalli, Director of Strategy and Operations at LifeArc explains: "Over the last five years, there has been substantial progress in identifying blood-based biomarkers to identify people at high risk of developing Alzheimer's disease before their symptoms present. Developing cheaper, scalable and more accessible tests is vital in the battle against this devastating condition. We are committed to improving patient lives through the development of new tests and treatments, and we are excited about the prospect of a finger-prick blood test for Alzheimer's disease because it will allow more patients to access new drugs, currently being developed, to slow disease progression in its early stages."

John Dwyer, President of GAP, said, "The introduction of the advanced dried blood spot test is highly anticipated and LifeArc's involvement will significantly enhance our study. Using a simple blood test has the potential to revolutionize diagnosis by making a timely diagnosis accessible to more people, including those who have limited access to specialized healthcare. We look forward to LifeArc's contribution to the Bio-Hermes-002 trial,".

Prof Henrik Zetterberg, Lead of the Biomarker Factory at the UK Dementia Research Institute, adds: "This study is unique in its size and scope, with 30% of volunteers being recruited from under-represented groups. Importantly, the results will be compared against current gold standard diagnostic techniques. If successful, being able to diagnose Alzheimer's with a minimally invasive, cost-effective method will revolutionise diagnostics in this area and pave the way for improved diagnosis of all neurodegenerative conditions."

Michael's story

Dr Michael Sandberg is a GP and runs a medical practice in Sloane Square in London. He has long seen the value of using biomarkers to measure or detect disease, but for him it is a much more personal journey. His mother, Aline, was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, and he saw the impact it could have.

"What a role our mothers play in our lives. My mother was selfless; felt she was lucky and felt she needed to help other people. She was that type of remarkable person. When she started to notice her memory dropping off, she was tested and diagnosed with Alzheimer's.

Michael's mind went to the slow decline she would experience, the need for intense support and the inevitable loss of the things she loved, "From her point-of-view she was quite clear that if she couldn't play the game she loved like Bridge and if she couldn't drive a car, she didn't feel life was worth living for her."

It was at this point Michael heard of a trial for a treatment that his mother could join with Dr Emer MacSweeney, CEO and Medical Director of Re:Cognition Health, at the organisation's London clinic. Michael was struck by the impact of the trial, which he says gave his mother "more time as herself".

Dr MacSweeney supports the rationale for the BioHermes trial: "Early, accurate biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease are essential. As disease-modifying treatments emerge, these new AD treatments are most effective when given, as early as possible, when symptoms are still very mild. As we approach a future in which Alzheimer's moves into the preventative realm, where disease can be detected and treated before symptoms even begin, this will be possible only with the availability of sensitive ubiquitous, inexpensive biomarkers.

Michael adds, "I saw the Bio-Hermes-002 trial, and it really excited me. I was delighted to find out that my test result was negative and it's a huge relief knowing what my mother went through. Being able to screen people to see if they on the way to developing dementia without hugely expensive scans and lumbar punctures is going to be fundamental if we are to fulfil the potential of new treatments and develop simple and cost-effective tests."

Further evidence is still needed before a blood test can be introduced into the NHS, but the Bio-Hermes-002 study aims to validate, in a large-scale, internationally diverse population, this new finger prick-based approach.

It's expected that at least 25% of volunteers will come from under-represented ethnic groups, and this is vital for closing the health research gap that exists between people of different ethnicities; for example, even though Black and Hispanic people are twice as likely to develop Alzheimer's disease than white people, they are still hugely underrepresented in clinical trials with participation rates often as low as 2% and rarely higher than 20%.

This has worrying implications when it comes to the promising future of personalised medicine, which will need to be based on a better understanding of disease risk across diverse populations. It is, therefore, hoped that the Bio-Hermes-002 project will gather data that can be used to benefit all patients equally in the future.

The trial is expected to complete in 2028.

For further information or to arrange interviews please contact:

Andrew Stewart
Director of Communications at LifeArc
Andrew.stewart@lifearc.org / +447970293826