Blood biomarker trial underway in the ADAPT study
Following in the footsteps of the READ-OUT study, the ADAPT study – which focuses on measuring one of the proteins associated with Alzheimer’s disease, p-tau217, in the blood – has launched its trial.
1,100 people are being recruited from memory clinics across the UK, with an emphasis on ensuring diversity in geographic, ethnic and economic backgrounds so that the findings are relevant to a broad UK population.
Half of the study participants will have their blood test results within three months of being assessed by their memory service, while the other half will receive their results after 12 months. The aim is to see if the test results help to speed up diagnosis and treatment decisions.
Dr Ashvini Keshavan, a senior clinical research fellow at University College London’s Dementia Research Centre and co-lead on the trial, says:
“An important characteristic about this trial is that it is indexing the impact of the blood test on onward care and management. Our trial is not about confirming accuracy of the blood test, as we have already done this in prior research; rather, this is about showing that it actually makes a difference to patients and hopefully can help them to get a diagnosis sooner.”
It’s expected to take two years to recruit for the trial, which is part of the Blood Biomarker Challenge. If the results are positive, they will be presented to NICE for a decision on whether the test should be rolled out across the NHS.
Find out more from University College London (UCL) here: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/2025/sep/uk-trial-launches-transform-alzheimers-diagnosis-simple-blood-test
Read more about the Blood Biomarker Challenge here: https://journalofdementiacare.co.uk/blood-tests-to-detect-dementia
Find out more about the READ-OUT study here: https://journalofdementiacare.co.uk/additional-funding-for-read-out-study-and-call-to-get-involved