Memorial says Owosso lab is first in U.S. to use new Alzheimer's blood test
Memorial Health System says it began patient testing Oct. 22 with Roche's FDA-cleared pTau217 test. The test helps doctors evaluate patients with memory concerns, but it can't diagnose Alzheimer's on its own.
A new Alzheimer's blood test is now in use at Memorial Health System's laboratory in Owosso, and the health system says it is the first in the nation to use that test on patients.
Memorial says patient testing began Oct. 22 with Roche's Elecsys Phospho-Tau (217P) Plasma test, known as pTau217. The "first" claim is Memorial's own, and it applies to this one test. We have not independently confirmed it. It does not mean this is the first Alzheimer's blood test available. The FDA cleared a different blood test in May 2025.
The FDA cleared the test on Aug. 19, 2026, and Roche announced it Aug. 24. It is for people 55 and older with signs, symptoms or complaints of cognitive decline. It helps identify amyloid pathology, a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease, and gives positive, intermediate or negative results. Doctors read those results along with other clinical information, so the test does not diagnose Alzheimer's by itself.
Roche says current ways of checking for amyloid, PET scans and spinal fluid testing, can be costly, invasive and hard to get. A blood draw is the difference here.
Labcorp already offers other Alzheimer's blood tests, including one that compares pTau-217 with another protein. Labcorp said in August it planned to offer this Roche test nationwide in the coming months, and Quest Diagnostics said it planned to introduce a service based on the test in the fourth quarter.
What happens next
The test is not for people without symptoms. Anyone with memory concerns can ask their doctor whether it fits. We did not find a published price or insurance details from Memorial, so patients should ask their doctor's office or insurer before testing. Memorial's main number is (989) 720-2273, and the hospital is at 826 W. King St. in Owosso.
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