On 23 October, the World Health Organisation (WHO) organised a webinar to celebrate the launch of its Preferred Product Characteristics (PPC) for Blood-Based Biomarker Diagnostics for Alzheimer’s Disease. Chaired by Tarun Dua, Head of the Brain Health Unit at the WHO, the webinar included short talks by expert panellists Oskar Hansson (Lund University, Sweden), Charlotte Teunissen (Amsterdam UMC, Netherlands), Momodou Cham (Richard Novati Catholic Hospital, Kenya), Suzanne Schindler (Washington University School of Medicine, USA) and Pedro Rosa-Neto (McGill University and University of Rio Grande Do Sul, Brazil). Together, they outlined the intended use of the PPC, the types of samples and tests that are covered, as well as key points of technical guidance and clinical performance. PPCs are technical documents that define the preferred attributes of diagnostic products for regulatory purposes, policy, and implementation in healthcare systems worldwide.
This PPC defines the preferred parameters of blood-based biomarker diagnostics for Alzheimer disease to ensure that these products will not only exhibit optimal clinical performance but are also relevant and accessible to different populations. During the webinar, panellists emphasised the importance of providing guidance on how to interpret results, which must consider factors such as age, sex, genetic mutations, medications, comorbidities, local/regional conditions and disease stage. Additionally, they highlighted key aspects that need to be considered, including accessibility, affordability, workforce capacity and training, requirements of technical support and equipment maintenance. Considerations for implementation included global access, post-diagnostic support and perspectives of people with lived experience. Download the PPC:
