A streamlined plasma amyloid‑beta assay demonstrated improved sensitivity and resource efficiency in preclinical and early clinical cohorts, offering a lower‑cost biomarker route for Alzheimer’s preclinical detection. Parallel research teams and consortia are launching trials to validate finger‑prick blood tests as accessible diagnostics for earlier diagnosis. Investigators reported the plasma assay’s analytic performance in journal submissions and a multi‑site finger‑prick trial is underway to compare performance to PET and CSF measures. Both efforts aim to broaden screening access and enable earlier intervention studies. What happened: Two diagnostic approaches—low‑volume plasma assays and minimally invasive finger‑prick testing—advanced validation steps that could lower barriers to population screening and trial enrollment. Sources: study reports and trial announcements. Clinical note: assays must demonstrate concordance with established biomarkers (amyloid PET/CSF) and standardized cutoffs for clinical deployment.