Signals
9Genetically-targeted Parkinson's programs reach pivotal data
LRRK2 inhibitors and GBA-targeted programs in Parkinson's disease are reading out as the first genetically-defined Parkinson's therapy options.
Concussion and TBI biomarker tools mature
Plasma GFAP and UCH-L1 assays for concussion and traumatic brain injury are establishing routine emergency-department use.
Plasma biomarker testing is displacing amyloid PET as the screening modality for anti-amyloid eligibility
Three FDA-cleared blood tests for amyloid pathology are now in routine use at major Alzheimer's centres, materially reducing the amyloid-PET demand that constrained early lecanemab uptake.
Parkinson's biomarker work is converging on the alpha-synuclein seed-amplification assay
The alpha-synuclein seed-amplification assay (alpha-syn-SAA) has emerged as the leading biomarker for Parkinson's disease and adjacent synucleinopathies. The assay's sensitivity, specificity, and the implications for both diagnosis and trial-enrolment are material.
Tau PET reimbursement is the next diagnostic access question
Amyloid PET has settled into routine coverage and availability. Tau PET - which will be the confirmatory pathway for tau-directed therapies - is sited at meaningfully fewer centers and reimbursed unevenly. The access conversation that defined anti-amyloid rollout is about to repeat, one mechanism later.
Real-world ARIA rates from registries are landing close to trial estimates
Early registry data on lecanemab and donanemab in routine clinical use is producing ARIA incidence numbers that broadly track the pivotal trials, with APOE4 homozygotes consistently the highest-risk group.
Co-pathology recognition is reshaping how Alzheimer's diagnosis is being read
LATE, vascular contribution, and Lewy-body co-pathology are now routinely on the differential when a patient with cognitive symptoms tests amyloid-positive. The clinical question is increasingly "what mix" rather than "is it Alzheimer's."
Plasma-biomarker rollout is concentrated at academic centers
Adoption of plasma p-tau217 testing remains concentrated at academic medical centers and large specialty practices, with community uptake meaningfully behind.
Blood-based biomarkers move from research to clinical workflow
Plasma p-tau217 assays are being adopted as a triage step before PET or CSF confirmation in specialty memory clinics.
Snapshots
4Dementia subtype therapy reference (2026)
Reference snapshot of dementia therapy across Alzheimer's, dementia with Lewy bodies, vascular, and frontotemporal subtypes.
What we are watching in Alzheimer's, as of Q2 2026
A reference list of the threads PatientSpotlight is actively tracking - clinical readouts, regulatory and reimbursement decisions, real-world evidence accumulation, and operational rollout. Each thread names what to watch and why it matters, without predicting when it will resolve.
Clinical trial endpoints in Alzheimer's disease, as of Q2 2026
A reference view of the cognitive, functional, and biomarker endpoints used in late-stage Alzheimer's trials - what each measures and how to read a readout that uses it.
Alzheimer's diagnostic pathways, as of Q2 2026
Plasma biomarkers are entering routine workflows alongside established CSF and PET options, with confirmatory imaging still standard before disease-modifying therapy.
Explained
5What are CSF biomarkers, and how do they fit alongside plasma and PET?
CSF biomarkers - measured in cerebrospinal fluid obtained by lumbar puncture - are well-validated tests for Alzheimer's pathology that pre-date both plasma biomarkers and broad amyloid PET access. They remain in routine clinical use, particularly where PET is not available and where the diagnostic question is complex enough to warrant the procedural friction.
What is tau PET, and how is it different from amyloid PET?
Tau PET is a brain scan that shows the build-up of tau, the second protein associated with Alzheimer's disease. The image is closer to the clinical picture than amyloid is - tau accumulation tracks more directly with where and how a person is currently impaired. The trade-off is that tau PET is harder to access than amyloid PET, and the access gap is now a rate-limiter on multiple fronts.
What is co-pathology in dementia, and why does it matter?
Co-pathology means more than one disease process is contributing to someone's symptoms at the same time. In older patients with cognitive symptoms, mixed pathology is the rule, not the exception.
What is amyloid PET, and when is it used?
Amyloid PET is a brain scan that shows whether the amyloid protein associated with Alzheimer's disease has built up in the brain. It is used to confirm or rule out Alzheimer's pathology when the diagnosis matters.
What are plasma biomarkers in Alzheimer's disease?
Plasma biomarkers are blood tests that look for proteins associated with Alzheimer's disease pathology. The most clinically useful one in 2026 is plasma p-tau217.