Siemens Healthineers Launches Brain Health Research Portfolio

Siemens Healthineers is expanding its offerings for brain health research, with the brain-derived, fully automated Atellica IM Phosphorylated tau 217 (pTau217) and Atellica IM Brain Derived Tau (BDTau) assays now available for research use.¹

Nearly 10 million new cases of dementia are diagnosed worldwide annually² and Alzheimer’s disease is the most common, contributing to 60% to 70% of cases, though it affects many more people over time as these individuals become adversely impacted and increasingly dependent on others for their care.² 

Siemens Healthineers’ blood tests offer researchers chemiluminescent immunoassays to provide a quantitative measurement of brain-derived phosphorylated tau 217 (p-tau217) and Brain Derived Tau (BD tau) and are run on the Atellica Solution IM and Atellica CI Analyzers. Blood-based biomarker testing offers a less invasive method compared to cerebrospinal fluid, which requires a lumbar puncture. 

“Siemens Healthineers is laser focused on expanding researchers’ access to blood testing that can reduce the burden of invasive testing to better understand these diseases and help address the growing societal impact of neurodegenerative conditions,” said Jim Freeman, head of Core Laboratory Solutions R&D for Diagnostics at Siemens Healthineers. “Our Atellica IM instrument enables the high sensitivity required to detect neurological biomarkers in blood.” 

Contributions to Scientific Innovation

Siemens Healthineers is involved in several research collaborations to advance earlier detection and characterization of neurological diseases with p-tau217 and BD tau biomarkers.^3-5 Notably, multi-cohort research studies are underway with PREDICTOM, ACCESS-AD, and Banner Sun Health Research Institute.

“We value the opportunity to work with diagnostics companies to advance the fight against Alzheimer’s disease, and this is a great example,” said Nicholas Ashton, Ph.D., senior director of the Fluid Biomarker Program at Banner Sun Health Research Institute in Arizona. “We’re working to validate the clinical utility of the plasma p-tau217 biomarker across diverse patient populations to advance early detection of Alzheimer’s disease. Our findings appear to support the promise of this Alzheimer’s blood biomarker in the clinical setting. We look forward to further advancing this research.” 

In addition to the Atellica IM pTau217 and Atellica IM BDTau RUO assays, Siemens Healthineers offers a Neurofilament Light Chain assay (with CE mark)⁶ to help predict the risk of future multiple sclerosis disease activity. Development efforts are underway to offer additional biomarkers, including Apolipoprotein E-ε4 (ApoE-ε4), a protein involved in the metabolism of fats and a subtype that is implicated in Alzheimer’s disease and cardiovascular diseases.

“Analyzer engineering is very important for amplifying the signal we need to achieve reliable results using blood tests,” stated Henrik Zetterberg, M.D., Ph.D., a neuroscientists internationally renowned for his research on biomarkers of Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative disorders. “Blood tests are much easier for both patients and doctors—you can scale testing, follow patients, or perhaps prepare a biomarker portfolio.” 

Siemens Healthineers is a global provider of healthcare equipment, solutions, and services, with activities in more than 180 countries and direct representation in over 70. The group comprises Siemens Healthineers AG, listed as SHL in Frankfurt, Germany, and its subsidiaries. As a medical technology company, Siemens Healthineers improves access to healthcare for underserved communities worldwide and strives to overcome the most threatening diseases. The company is principally active in imaging, diagnostics, cancer care, and minimally invasive therapies, augmented by digital technology and artificial intelligence. In fiscal 2025 (ended Sept. 30, 2025), Siemens Healthineers employed approximately 74,000 workers worldwide and generated about €23.4 billion in revenue.

References
¹ For research use only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures. These assays are intended to support scientific investigation and are not cleared or approved for clinical decision‑making.
² World Health Organization Dementia Fact Sheet
³ Siemens Healthineers Co-Leads EU Alzheimer’s Disease Care Initiative
⁴ Oberstein, T. (2026, March) Brain-derived pTau217 in plasma outperforms pTau217 and brain-derived tau assays for identifying Alzheimer´s disease (A+T1+) in MCI/mild dementia, [E-poster presentation]. AD/PD. Copenhagen, Denmark.
⁵ Prediction of Alzheimer’s disease using an AI driven screening platform
⁶ CE0197. Available for Research Use Only in the U.S.