Two more blood tests for Alzheimer's brain changes cleared by the FDA
In one week of August 2026 the FDA gave clearance to two more blood tests, made by other companies, that look for amyloid, bringing the total to four. Both are for people who already have memory symptoms.
What was found
On 20 and 24 August 2026 the US Food and Drug Administration cleared two more blood tests that help doctors look for amyloid, the protein build-up linked to Alzheimer's disease. According to the Alzheimer's Association, four blood tests of this kind now have FDA clearance.
One is cleared for adults aged 40 and over who have signs of memory or thinking problems, the youngest age cleared so far. The other, which measures p-tau217, is cleared for people with such signs and is meant for both primary and specialty care.
Why it matters
Until recently, confirming amyloid meant a brain scan or a spinal tap. Cleared blood tests make that step simpler, and putting one in primary care means more people can be assessed closer to home. For clinics, it shows blood protein testing moving from research into everyday medicine. (Protearc's panels are not among them: they are laboratory-developed tests, not cleared or approved by the FDA.)
How sure we are
These are regulatory clearances, reported by the Alzheimer's Association; the detailed performance data sit with the FDA and the makers. Both tests are cleared only for people who already have symptoms, and only as one part of a doctor's full assessment. The Alzheimer's Association stresses that no single test can confirm Alzheimer's on its own, and that these tests are not for screening people without symptoms.
News about the field, not medical advice
The Protein Brief reports what researchers found. It does not say what any person's own results mean. Questions about Protearc are welcome.