Siemens Healthineers is to co-lead a major EU research initiative dedicated to improving the diagnosis, treatment and monitoring of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). The project, ACCESS-AD, aims to create a collaborative, patient-centered strategy for Alzheimer’s care across Europe. It begins in January 2026 and unites more than 30 European partners from hospitals, universities, patient organizations, and industry, representing expertise in neurology, imaging, data science, and patient advocacy. Siemens Healthineers is leading the industrial contribution to this five-year project, co-funded by the Innovative Health Initiative (IHI) - a public-private partnership between the European Union and the life-sciences industry. Clinical leadership is provided by Amsterdam University Medical Center, while King’s College London and Gates Ventures are project co-leads. As part of an Alzheimer’s ecosystem, Siemens Healthineers is driving the development and validation of solutions for the entire AD patient pathway from blood tests for early detection up to MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) and PET (positron emission tomography) imaging for AD diagnostics and therapy monitoring.
Alzheimer’s Disease remains a major medical and societal challenge, with more than 7 million people affected in the European Union alone - a number expected to double by 20502. The impact extends to families, caregivers, and healthcare systems. While treatment has traditionally focused on symptoms, the availability of new disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) in the European Union since 2025 offers hope. However, many national health systems are constrained by diagnostic bottlenecks and limited capacity, already unable to keep up with demand for tests, imaging, and specialized follow-up care. In some countries, waiting times for these services could stretch to years unless innovations are introduced. ACCESS-AD responds to this need and accompanies the patient from diagnosis and therapy decisions to treatment and ongoing monitoring, considering insights from other AD-related IHI initiatives to foster collaboration across the field.
The initiative aims to enhance care by standardizing procedures, integrating state-of-the-art industry solutions, and leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) for advanced disease management. This includes analyzing medical scans, blood tests, and digital health data, helping predict treatment responses and identifying patients at higher risk of complications. In addition, the project team will collect real-world data from more than 500 patients across Europe and is running a pilot study to test combinations of drug therapies and lifestyle interventions for Alzheimer’s care.
Siemens Healthineers offers a portfolio that stretches along the whole Alzheimer’s care pathway. It combines laboratory diagnostics and high-end imaging with digital tools. “Alzheimer's care today is marked by fragmented, delayed pathways. ACCESS-AD brings together leading organizations from across Europe to make advanced Alzheimer’s diagnostics and therapies accessible to all,” said Amira Romani, head of Innovation and Technology Strategy at Siemens Healthineers. “It is a powerful example of what happens when industry, academia and clinical partners collaborate to make an impact – personalized for each patient.”
Within ACCESS-AD, Siemens Healthineers will empower patients to collect capillary samples at home, enabling key Alzheimer’s biomarkers to be analyzed on the company’s laboratory platforms. “The home-based blood collection initiative not only empowers patients and caregivers but also supports healthcare systems by reducing bottlenecks in specialist centers and enabling earlier intervention through more frequent and accessible testing. This is a key step towards making precision diagnostics scalable and equitable throughout Europe,” said Gaby Marquardt, head of Clinical and Technology Innovation, Diagnostics, at Siemens Healthineers.
Siemens Healthineers will also lower technical, operational, and financial barriers that limit access to high-quality brain imaging in Europe, for example by leading the development and clinical implementation of advanced MRI and PET/CT imaging solutions even beyond specialist centers. In the field of MRI, this could include compact, helium-free DryCool magnet technologies3, AI-empowered workflows and image reconstruction as well as accelerated brain-imaging protocols for significantly shortened scan times. “The ACCESS-AD initiative highlights our growing focus on disease management and our dedication to improving health outcomes,” said Andreas Schneck, head of Magnetic Resonance at Siemens Healthineers. “By making advanced neuroimaging more accessible, we aim to streamline imaging workflows for Alzheimer’s diagnostics and monitoring. This empowers healthcare providers to deliver more precise, patient-centered care.”
Fo further information, please visit:
http://www.access-ad.org
About Siemens Healthineers
Siemens Healthineers pioneers breakthroughs in healthcare. For everyone. Everywhere. Sustainably. The company is a global provider of healthcare equipment, solutions and services, with activities in more than 180 countries and direct representation in more than 70. The group comprises Siemens Healthineers AG, listed as SHL in Frankfurt, Germany, and its subsidiaries. As a leading medical technology company, Siemens Healthineers is committed to improving access to healthcare for underserved communities worldwide and is striving to overcome the most threatening diseases. The company is principally active in the areas of imaging, diagnostics, cancer care and minimally invasive therapies, augmented by digital technology and artificial intelligence. In fiscal 2025, which ended on September 30, 2025, Siemens Healthineers had approximately 74,000 employees worldwide and generated revenue of around €23.4 billion.