(Reuters) -Roche Diagnostics said on Monday the U.S. Food and Drug Administration cleared its and partner Eli Lilly’s blood test as an aid in the initial assessment for Alzheimer’s disease.

This comes at the heel of FDA’s nod for Fujirebio Diagnostics’ blood test Lumipulse in May, the first such device to get approval to diagnose the brain-wasting condition.

Roche’s test Elecsys measures pTau181, a key protein associated with Alzheimer’s disease. It is intended for patients ages 55 and older presenting signs, symptoms or complaints of cognitive decline.

Blood tests could speed up diagnosis of the disease and make it easier to access treatments such as Biogen and Eisai’s Leqembi and Eli Lilly’s Kisunla, since traditional tests are often costly or uncomfortable.

Other options to detect A

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