Summary
In the wake of the controversial U.S. regulatory approval of the Alzheimer’s drug aducanumab, physicians expect many patients┬аwith memory problems will want to know┬аwhether they are eligible. But a definitive diagnosis is expensive and┬аtime-consuming, involving a hunt for indicators of disease, or biomarkers, in patients’ spinal fluid or┬аin positron emission┬аtomography scans. The demand threatens to overwhelm the health system. An innovation could help manage the┬аdeluge: simple blood tests for molecules┬аthat may indicate signs of disease in the┬аbrain. With several promising tests under development, companies are now working to make them fit for widespread clinical useтАФand┬аdoctors are scrambling to decide when and┬аhow to use them.
