First Blood-Based Test Measures Key Alzheimer's Biomarker in Asymptomatic and Symptomatic Individuals
Posted on 31 Jul 2025
Alzheimer’s disease (AD), the sixth leading cause of death in the United States, affects an estimated 7.2 million Americans aged 65 or older. Current diagnostic methods for AD are often invasive, expensive, and typically only effective in the later stages of the disease, limiting opportunities for early intervention. A significant challenge has been the absence of a clinically available blood test capable of accurately predicting the presence of tau aggregates in the brain before the onset of clinical symptoms. Now, new research has demonstrated that a novel assay accurately measures active tau pathology—a key biomarker of AD and other tauopathies—in individuals with and without cognitive impairment.
The VeraBIND Tau Assay, developed by Veravas Inc. (Austin, TX, USA), is the first blood-based test designed to measure the pathological binding activity between hyperphosphorylated tau and normal tau, a hallmark of AD and other tauopathies. Unlike existing tests that merely quantify biomarker levels, VeraBIND Tau detects the active spread of tau proteins, providing a more direct indication of disease progression. The assay detects tau pathology in adult patients aged 50 years and older, and produces results consistent with tau positron emission tomography (Tau-PET) brain scans. Two independent analyses presented at the 2025 Alzheimer’s Association International Conference validated the effectiveness of VeraBIND Tau.
One analysis demonstrated over 95% sensitivity and specificity in distinguishing amyloid-positive and tau-positive individuals from amyloid-negative and tau-negative cases, with accuracy observed in both cognitively unimpaired and impaired individuals. The second analysis confirmed the assay’s ability to correctly identify Tau-PET-positive individuals regardless of amyloid status, and found that those with positive results scored lower on cognitive assessments. The data also showed that the assay is highly sensitive to early stages of tau aggregation, unlike current plasma tau methods that are more effective only at later disease stages. Veravas plans to continue supporting researchers, clinicians, and industry with this breakthrough technology to aid in early diagnosis, treatment planning, and clinical trial recruitment.
"This breakthrough technology can also support industry in expediting clinical trial recruitment and lessening trial duration. We look forward to supporting industry, researchers, and healthcare providers to address a huge unmet need and provide a new source of hope to patients and their families," said John Forrest, Co-Founder, CEO & Executive Chairman of Veravas.
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