The long-term goal is Medicare availability for the test, with collaboration between NeuRA, Roche, and Eli Lilly Australia to streamline diagnosis and treatment pathways.

Initially, the centre will use the test in clinical trials to improve early and accurate detection, aiming to position New South Wales as a national hub for dementia diagnostics, trials, and research.

The Therapeutic Goods Administration has approved the pTau217 blood test for Alzheimer’s in Australia, enabling clinical use, with October marking a broader rule-out role for pTau181 and extended utility for identifying Alzheimer’s pathology.

A Australian-first blood test for Alzheimer’s detection, delivering results in about 18 minutes, will launch through the Asia-Pacific Centre of Excellence for Alzheimer’s Disease Diagnosis at NeuRA in Sydney, in partnership with Roche Diagnostics Australia.

The new Asia-Pacific Centre of Excellence for Alzheimer’s Diagnosis in Sydney will run the pTau217 test and other biomarkers with rapid 18-minute processing.

Early diagnosis is emphasized as enabling time for planning, treatment, and care, even though there is no cure for dementia.

A Port Macquarie grandmother illustrates the personal impact of delayed diagnosis and the potential life-changing benefits of earlier testing.

Experts caution that there will be a period of clinician training and phased implementation to adapt to the new test and systems.

The pTau217 test functions as both a rule-in and rule-out diagnostic, with a grey zone that requires confirmatory testing, complementing lumbar punctures and PET scans.

Dementia’s high prevalence and mortality in Australia are noted, alongside ongoing development of disease-modifying therapies and research into early detection and intervention.

The test detects elevated phosphorylated tau (pTau) linked to amyloid-beta plaques, with about 90% diagnostic accuracy observed in trials.

NeuRA and Roche are coordinating to integrate the test into routine care across Australia and the Asia-Pacific, including guidelines and clinical pathways and potential Medicare listing.