Biomarker Testing for Alzheimer Disease and Latest Developments

Joachim Reischl, PhD, head of the neurodegenerative disease franchise at Danaher Corporation, discussed emerging advances in Alzheimer disease diagnosis and the promise of precision medicine in the field of neurodegeneration. The conversation centered on the transformative potential of blood-based biomarkers and their implications for earlier, more equitable diagnosis.

Reischl emphasized that the current landscape of dementia diagnosis remained critically inadequate. He noted that approximately 75% of dementia patients had not received a diagnosis, attributing this gap primarily to the high cost and limited accessibility of existing diagnostic procedures.¹ Blood-based biomarkers, he argued, represented a pivotal opportunity to close this gap. The underlying mechanism involved proteins produced in response to pathological processes, including amyloid plaques and tau tangles, that crossed the blood-brain barrier and became detectable in peripheral blood.² Reischl described the diagnostic challenge as "identifying the needle in the haystack," requiring highly sensitive detection platforms capable of identifying minute traces of disease-associated proteins.

Reischl stressed the critical importance of early detection, noting that intervening before substantial neuronal damage had occurred was essential to modifying disease course. He indicated that Danaher and Beckman Coulter were collaborating with leading academic institutions, including Washington University, to develop next-generation biomarkers capable of differentiating among distinct pathological processes—a prerequisite for targeted therapeutic intervention.

He described the current moment as one of considerable momentum, stating, "we are really living through a whole revolution where we have unprecedented insights into the disease." Reischl also articulated an aspirational vision for the field: "the next decade, I hope at least we see the biggest change and the biggest paradigm shift in neurodegenerative disease," drawing a parallel to the transformation precision oncology achieved over the prior decade.

Reischl concluded that the convergence of novel biomarkers, platform accessibility, and pharmaceutical collaboration was laying the foundation for precision medicine in dementia care.

Dr Reischl is vice president of the neurodegenerative disease franchise and Danaher Corporation.

References

1. Gauthier S, Rosa-Neto P, Morais JA, et al. World Alzheimer report 2021. Alzheimer’s Disease International. 2021. Accessed March 30, 2026. https://www.alzint.org/u/World-Alzheimer-Report-2021.pdf

2. Padala SP, Newhouse PA. Blood-based biomarkers in Alzheimer's disease: a mini-review. Metab Brain Dis. 2023;38(1):185-193.