Leading genomics firm BGI Genomics and global diagnostics company Roche Diagnostics have announced the rollout of new diagnostic tests for Alzheimer’s disease across key regions in China, marking a significant step toward broader and less invasive detection options for one of the world’s most challenging neurodegenerative conditions.

The initiative introduces blood-based Alzheimer’s diagnostic tests that aim to improve accessibility to early detection tools and support clinicians in disease assessment and patient monitoring. BGI’s test is currently being deployed in cities including Guangzhou, Qingdao, Shenzhen and Wuhan, where it serves as an auxiliary tool to help evaluate risk and progression of Alzheimer’s disease, though it is not intended to serve as a standalone diagnostic method.

In parallel, Roche Diagnostics has begun clinical use of its Alzheimer’s test which measures the phosphorylated Tau181 (pTau181) protein, a biomarker associated with the disease at a hospital in Boao, Hainan province, with efforts underway to secure broader regulatory authorisation across China.

Traditional diagnosis of Alzheimer’s has often relied on invasive cerebrospinal fluid tests or expensive PET scans, limiting access and slowing the diagnostic pathway for many patients. The new blood-based approaches offered by BGI and Roche are designed to provide simpler, less invasive, and more scalable alternatives that can help clinicians screen and monitor patients more efficiently.

These diagnostic innovations arrive at a time when China like many countries with aging populations is facing a growing prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease, and where early detection is increasingly recognised as crucial to patient care and management. By enabling earlier identification of key biomarkers, the tests could support clinicians in making timelier treatment decisions and better planning patient care pathways.

The collaboration between BGI and Roche reflects a broader trend in precision medicine and diagnostics, leveraging advanced blood-based technologies to bring improved disease detection tools closer to patients and healthcare providers.