Home › Research › Biomarkers
The economic value of plasma p ‐tau217 testing for patients presenting with cognitive impairment in the United States
D. J. Spargo, Pablo Anaya, Pallavi Krishnamurthy, Christophe Sapin, James A. Hendrix, Samantha C. Burnham, Rose C Beck. Alzheimer s & Dementia, 2025-12-01
Topic: Amyloid, tau and blood-test diagnosis
In the study scenario, adding plasma p -tau217 testing to SCE reduced diagnostic costs by $342/patient, through more efficient use of amyloid PET and CSF testing. Higher lifetime costs ($274,876 vs $273,999 and QALYs (2.05 vs 2.00) among those who received vs did not receive testing were driven by more patients receiving a biomarker-confirmed AD diagnosis and appropriate amyloid-targeting therapy. The ICER was $17,571/QALY gained. Results were similar in the literature scenario. In the study and literature scenarios, respectively, the EJPs of plasma p -tau217 testing were $4,311 and $3,730 at a WTP of $100,000/QALY gained. Adding plasma p -tau217 testing to SCE for patients presenting with CI may reduce costs associated with amyloid PET imaging and AD CSF testing, offering a cost-effective way to support AD diagnosis. References 1. Arslan B, et al. Clin Chem Lab Med. 2024;621063-1069. 2. Mielke MM, et al. Alzheimers Dement. 2024;20:8216-8224.
Key findings
- In the study scenario, adding plasma p -tau217 testing to SCE reduced diagnostic costs by $342/patient, through more efficient use of amyloid PET and CSF testing.
- Higher lifetime costs ($274,876 vs $273,999 and QALYs (2.05 vs 2.00) among those who received vs did not receive testing were driven by more patients receiving a biomarker-confirmed AD diagnosis and appropriate amyloid-targeting therapy.
- Results were similar in the literature scenario.
- In the study and literature scenarios, respectively, the EJPs of plasma p -tau217 testing were $4,311 and $3,730 at a WTP of $100,000/QALY gained.
- Adding plasma p -tau217 testing to SCE for patients presenting with CI may reduce costs associated with amyloid PET imaging and AD CSF testing, offering a cost-effective way to support AD diagnosis.
Why it matters
Adding plasma p-tau217 testing to standard cognitive evaluation reduced diagnostic costs by $342 per patient through more efficient use of amyloid PET and CSF testing, and was cost-effective at $17,571 per quality-adjusted life year gained. The authors conclude this offers a cost-effective way to support Alzheimer's diagnosis.
New to this subject? Start with our plain-English guide: Blood tests & biomarkers →
Study details
- Effect size59.3%
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 33/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Alzheimer s & Dementia) |
| Journal's citation record | 2 / 4 | Alzheimer s & Dementia: journal h-index 228 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 4 / 5 | 2025 — within 3 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 2 / 3 | Effect reported as a number, without an interval or test |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 0 / 7 | Cited 0 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 0 / 5 | 0.0 citations a year over 3 year(s) since 2025 |
| Impact for its field and year | 0 / 6 | Cited 0.0× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 0 / 6 | No other study in this library cites it |
| Still being cited | 0 / 4 | Cited 0 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 1 / 4 | Last-listed author Rose C Beck: h-index 17 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | Eli Lilly (United States): institution h-index 744 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 2 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 41433569) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 33 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
- DOI: 10.1002/alz70861_108060
- PubMed: 41433569
- Original source →
- Free full text: Alzheimer s & Dementia →
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. The record names 7 authors; APA and Vancouver show the first six, BibTeX and the downloads carry all of them. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Spargo, D. J., Anaya, P., Krishnamurthy, P., Sapin, C., Hendrix, J. A., Burnham, S. C., et al. (2025). The economic value of plasma p ‐tau217 testing for patients presenting with cognitive impairment in the United States. Alzheimer s & Dementia. https://doi.org/10.1002/alz70861_108060
Vancouver
Spargo DJ, Anaya P, Krishnamurthy P, Sapin C, Hendrix JA, Burnham SC, et al. The economic value of plasma p ‐tau217 testing for patients presenting with cognitive impairment in the United States. Alzheimer s & Dementia. 2025. doi:10.1002/alz70861_108060. PMID: 41433569.
BibTeX
@article{spargo2025-41433569,
author = {Spargo, D. J. and Anaya, Pablo and Krishnamurthy, Pallavi and Sapin, Christophe and Hendrix, James A. and Burnham, Samantha C. and Beck, Rose C},
title = {{The economic value of plasma p ‐tau217 testing for patients presenting with cognitive impairment in the United States}},
journal = {Alzheimer s \& Dementia},
year = {2025},
doi = {10.1002/alz70861_108060},
pmid = {41433569},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1002/alz70861_108060}
}