More than 1,000 patients to take part in trial to see if the approach leads to faster and more reliable diagnoses
Doctors have launched a clinical trial of a £100 blood test for Alzheimer’s disease in the hope of transforming diagnosis of the devastating condition in the NHS.
More than 1,000 patients with suspected dementia are being recruited from memory clinics across the UK to see whether the test leads to faster and more reliable diagnoses and better care for those found to have the disease.
More than half a million people in the UK have Alzheimer’s, the most common form of dementia, but getting a diagnosis can take years. Only about 2% of patients have a gold-standard test based on a PET scan or lumber puncture to spot hallmarks of the condition.
While new drugs such as lecanemab and donanemab have been shown to slow the disease, they have a small effect and have been rejected for widespread use by the UK’s National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice). Hopes now ride on a second generation of Alzheimer’s drugs that are being tested in clinical trials.
