Spear Bio, an innovator in ultrasensitive protein biomarker detection, showcased three new SPEAR UltraDetect™ immunoassays—brain-derived p-Tau 217 (BD-pTau 217), α-synuclein (α-syn) and phospho-Ser129-α-synuclein (pS129-α-syn)—at the International Conference on Alzheimer’s & Parkinson’s Diseases (AD/PD 2026) last week. The product debuts coincide with the company’s newly established direct-to-customer operations in North America and Europe, an important step that will streamline access to its technology for laboratories investigating neurodegenerative proteinopathies.
The SPEAR UltraDetect BD-pTau 217 Assay, first released to early adopters last month, remains the only brain-derived pTau 217 test to deliver 100% quantifiability in both healthy and diseased plasma samples. Operating in a homogeneous, wash-free format and requiring just 1 µL of diluted plasma, the assay achieves a functional lower limit of quantification of 25 fg/mL and an average intra-plate CV of 5.7%. These attributes allow investigators to detect Alzheimer’s-related tau changes at the preclinical stage while preserving precious sample volume for longitudinal studies.
“Our goal is to place the most sensitive protein biomarker tools in the hands of scientists tackling complex neurodegenerative diseases,” said Feng Xuan, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Spear Bio. “By expanding our assay portfolio and transitioning to direct customer engagement, we are empowering researchers to generate higher-quality data with greater efficiency, accelerating the path from discovery to clinical impact.”
Complementing the BD-pTau 217 offering, the newly introduced α-syn and pS129-α-syn assays address critical needs in Parkinson’s disease and related synucleinopathies. Both kits quantify monomeric, oligomeric, and post-translationally modified synuclein species at low-femtogram concentrations, with only 1 µL of diluted sample, on widely available qPCR instruments, eliminating reliance on proprietary readers.
Oliver Tassinari, Vice President of Business Development & Strategy, underscored the importance of minimal sample input. “SPEAR UltraDetect delivers attomolar sensitivity using just 1 µL of sample,” Tassinari said. “For researchers working with precious biobanked samples, low sample volume requirement means richer data from more assays without depleting samples.”
Spear Bio was an official sponsor of AD/PD 2026 and presented new validation data in multiple poster sessions throughout the conference as well as a product theater on March 21 at the Bella Center.
To learn more about the new assays or SPEAR technology, visit: https://spear.bio/.
