Neurogen Biomarking Enters Partnership Agreement with Tasso to Bring Virtually Painless Blood Collection Technology to Its Alzheimer’s Testing Platform

The collaboration positions Neurogen at the forefront of globally building a scalable, home-based model for Alzheimer’s-related biomarker testing and cognitive-health services.

Neurogen Biomarking and Tasso, Inc. today announced a broad partnership agreement in which Neurogen will adopt Tasso’s virtually painless, needle-free blood collection technology as part of Neurogen’s home-based Alzheimer’s testing services. Neurogen’s advanced brain-health testing ecosystem will incorporate Tasso’s patient-centric collection devices to enable comfortable, user-friendly blood sample collection. The use of the Tasso technology helps expand equitable access to Alzheimer’s-related biomarker testing through a simple, non-invasive blood collection experience.

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Dr. Rany Aburashed, CEO & Founder of Neurogen Biomarking

Neurogen’s platform pairs a blood-based biomarker test with a digital cognitive assessment to help identify individuals who may be at higher risk for Alzheimer’s disease. Licensed blood collection specialists visit individuals at a patient’s home to obtain samples using the Tasso+ device and a traditional draw. Samples are processed in certified laboratories, and results are reviewed by board-certified neurologists via telehealth— providing individuals with information and guidance regarding next steps in care.

Because Neurogen Biomarking holds the intellectual property for the application of its blood-based biomarker test, it remains the only organization able to deploy this methodology at scale for Alzheimer’s-related biomarker testing.

“Neurogen is on a fast-track to becoming the global entry point for early evaluation of Alzheimer’s-related biomarkers,” said Dr. Rany Aburashed, Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Neurogen Biomarking. “The addition of Tasso’s technology to our ecosystem creates a streamlined, scalable at-home experience designed to make Alzheimer’s-related testing more accessible.”

Neurogen research presented at the 2025 Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC) demonstrated that Tasso’s blood collection system provided sample quality suitable for Alzheimer’s biomarker analysis. The study, “Remote Collection of Biomarkers for Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders,” presented by Elisabeth Thijssen, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer, Neurogen Biomarking, highlighted Neurogen’s integrated approach that merges in-home biomarker collection, cognitive assessment, and virtual neurological consultation. Findings suggest the platform could help reduce delays in accessing cognitive-health evaluation. The study also found a strong correlation between samples collected via Tasso versus traditional venipuncture, supporting Tasso’s use within Neurogen’s workflow. Neurogen continues to expand its research initiatives with Tasso technology to expand its use and evaluation within Neurogen’s testing model.

“Making blood collection more patient-centric is key to ensuring everyone who needs testing has access to it,” said Ben Casavant, PhD, CEO and Co-Founder of Tasso. “Our virtually painless collection technology offers individuals a simple and comfortable way to provide blood samples. We’re pleased that Neurogen has chosen to include our device as part of their service model.”

Studies show patients often wait 45 to 50 months from their first primary care visit to their initial neurology appointment. The current standard of care delays Alzheimer’s diagnosis by several years—too late for many to benefit from available interventions. Neurogen’s online platform, offering at-home Alzheimer’s biomarker collection for individuals with memory concerns, is currently in beta testing.

The Unmet Need: Access to Early Detection Testing for Alzheimer’s

An estimated 40% of Americans aged 65 and older—more than 16 million people—experience some form of memory impairment. Yet fewer than 8% of older adults with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) ever receive a formal diagnosis, leaving 92% without answers or access to early intervention. Currently it takes five to seven years between symptom onset and diagnosis (+intervention), with the Neurogen platform it can take as short as five to seven months. Moreover, fewer than one in five Alzheimer’s diagnoses in the U.S. currently involve biomarker testing, largely due to accessibility and expertise gaps. These statistics underscore the urgent need to reimagine how Alzheimer’s and cognitive decline are detected and managed—particularly as the aging population grows and new diagnostic tools emerge.

About Neurogen Biomarking

Neurogen Biomarking is on a global mission to give everyone equitable access to brain health care. The company offers the first at-home blood biomarker test for phosphorylated tau (P-tau217), paired with digital cognitive testing and neurologist-guided telehealth results. Neurogen’s vision is to provide accessible technology, actionable insights, and precision-based pathways for early detection and care of Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Founded by award-winning neurologist Dr. Rany Aburashed, Neurogen is led by a world-class team including Elisabeth Thijssen, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer, and Ken Bahk, Chief Strategy Officer. Visit www.neurogenbiomarking.com.

About Tasso

Tasso is a healthcare technology company transforming traditional blood collection with a patient-centric, virtually painless approach. Its devices enable simple, remote blood sampling for users and healthcare providers. Headquartered in Seattle, Washington, Tasso is privately held and supported through grants, investments, and partnerships with leading research and industry organizations. Learn more at www.tassoinc.com.

Sources

1. NeurologyLive: AAIC 2025 Key Takeaways

2. Small, G.W. (2002). What We Need to Know About Age-Related Memory Loss. BMJ, 24(7352), 1502–1505. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.324.7352.1502

3. Liu Y, Jun H, Becker A, Wallick C, Mattke S. Detection Rates of Mild Cognitive Impairment in Primary Care for the United States Medicare Population. J Prev Alzheimer's Dis. 2024;11(1):7-12. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38230712/

4. Alzheimer’s Association. (2023). 2023 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures. Alzheimer’s & Dementia, 19(3), 159–258. https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.13016

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Neurogen is on a fast-track to becoming the global entry point for early evaluation of Alzheimer’s-related biomarkers.