Spear Bio, an innovator in ultra-sensitive protein biomarker detection, introduced three new SPEAR UltraDetect™ immunoassays for brain-derived p-Tau 217 (BD-pTau 217), alpha-synuclein (α-syn), and phospho-Ser129-α-synuclein (pS129-α-syn) at the International Conference on Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Disease. (AD/PD 2026) Last week. The product’s debut coincides with the company’s newly established direct-to-customer business in North America and Europe, and is an important step in streamlining access to the company’s technology for laboratories studying neurodegenerative protein diseases.
The SPEAR UltraDetect BD-pTau 217 assay was first released to early adopters last month and remains the only brain-derived pTau 217 test that provides 100% quantification in both healthy and diseased plasma samples. The assay operates in a homogeneous, wash-free format, requires only 1 µL of diluted plasma, and achieves a functional limit of quantification of 25 fg/mL and an average in-plate CV of 5.7%. These properties allow researchers to detect tau changes associated with Alzheimer’s disease at a preclinical stage while preserving valuable sample volumes for long-term studies.
Our goal is to put the most sensitive protein biomarker tools in the hands of scientists tackling complex neurodegenerative diseases. Expanding our assay portfolio and moving toward direct customer engagement will enable researchers to generate high-quality data more efficiently, accelerating the path from discovery to clinical impact. ”
Feng Xuan, Founder and CEO of Spear Bio
Complementing the BD-pTau 217 product, the newly introduced α-syn and pS129-α-syn assays address important needs in Parkinson’s disease and related synucleinopathies. Both kits use widely available qPCR equipment to quantify monomeric, oligomeric, and post-translationally modified synuclein species at low femtogram concentrations using as little as 1 µL of diluted sample, thus eliminating dependence on proprietary readers.
Oliver Tassinari, Vice President of Business Development and Strategy, emphasized the importance of minimal sample input. “SPEAR UltraDetect achieves attomole sensitivity using as little as 1 µL of sample.” There’s Tassinar. ”For researchers working with valuable biobank samples, the lower sample volume required means richer data from more assays without depleting the sample. ”
Spear Bio is an official sponsor of AD/PD 2026 and presented new validation data at multiple poster sessions during the conference and at the Product Theater on March 21st at the Vera Center.
