Scottish Brain Sciences (SBS) has launched an accredited laboratory service offering blood-based biomarker and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) testing for Alzheimer’s disease, expanding diagnostic capacity in Scotland and providing new support for clinicians and healthcare providers across the UK.

The Edinburgh-based organisation said the service is designed to improve access to diagnostic tools that can help healthcare professionals assess patients with suspected Alzheimer’s disease more quickly and accurately.

The launch follows the achievement of UKAS ISO 15189 accreditation, making the SBS facility the only Scotland-based laboratory publicly offering both CSF and blood or plasma Alzheimer’s biomarker testing.

Blood-based biomarker testing is increasingly viewed as an important development in Alzheimer’s diagnosis because it offers a less invasive alternative to spinal fluid sampling and may reduce reliance on PET imaging. Researchers and healthcare providers are exploring how these tests could support earlier identification of the disease and improve patient assessment pathways.

According to SBS, the laboratory service is available to academic institutions, NHS partners, life sciences organisations and clinical trial sponsors. While it is not currently available as a direct-to-patient diagnostic service, the company said the facility is intended to help prepare healthcare systems for wider adoption of biomarker-enabled care pathways in the future.

The service will support clinicians assessing patients with suspected Alzheimer’s disease, clinical trials seeking biomarker-confirmed participants, academic research programmes investigating disease progression and treatment response, and partnerships with biotechnology, pharmaceutical and diagnostics companies.

Dr Lewis Penny, director of laboratory services at Scottish Brain Sciences, said: “Despite their critical importance in ensuring an accurate diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease, biomarker tests are currently used to support around 2% of clinical cases in the UK. This is a major step forward for Scotland and the UKs clinical brain health services. Blood-based biomarkers will become central to earlier, more accurate assessment of Alzheimer’s disease, and this new accredited laboratory service gives healthcare providers the capacity to use them in routine practice.”

SBS said the investment strengthens Scotland’s position in dementia research and could help attract additional clinical studies and life sciences partnerships to the country.

The organisation is also working with industry partners including Roche, which recently announced CE marking for a blood-based Alzheimer’s biomarker test in Europe. SBS plans to begin offering the assay from summer 2026.

Prof Craig Ritchie, founder and CEO of Scottish Brain Sciences, said: “The shift toward blood-based biomarkers is one of the most significant advances in Alzheimer’s disease in decades. Establishing this accredited laboratory service represents genuine leadership and innovation. It provides the clinical capacity required for high-quality biomarker testing, enabling healthcare providers to deliver faster, more accurate assessments and preparing health systems for the innovations that are rapidly approaching. We are delighted to see SBS and Scotland taking this proactive step.”

SBS said participation in research studies remains the main route through which patients and families can currently benefit from advances in biomarker science, with efforts under way to expand opportunities for involvement in studies across Scotland.

The company is inviting enquiries from healthcare providers, clinical research organisations, NHS teams, academic institutions and life sciences companies seeking accredited Alzheimer’s biomarker testing services.