Positrigo joins ACCESS-AD Initiative
January 13, 2026
Positrigo joins the ACCESS-AD Initiative
ACCESS-AD launches to advance Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis and treatment across Europe
A new European initiative, ACCESS-AD, was officially launched on Tuesday 13 January. It’s goal: to help people with Alzheimer’s disease get diagnosed, treated and supported in a more timely and equitable way, wherever they live in Europe.
ACCESS-AD is a five-year program, co-led by Amsterdam UMC, Siemens Healthineers, King’s College London and Gates Ventures, receiving funding under the auspices of the European Union’s Innovative Health Initiative. With an initial budget of over €37 million, comprising ~€20 million from the EU and ~€17 million from industry partners, ACCESS-AD brings together 30 organizations including universities, hospitals, patient organizations, SMEs, medical device manufacturers and pharmaceutical companies.
“Positrigo is joining this initiative to address one of the most critical bottlenecks in Alzheimer’s diagnostics: accessibility. By providing the NeuroLF system, we aim to demonstrate that brain PET imaging can be scaled to serve the broader population – not just a select few. Our focus is on validating accessible imaging solutions that integrate seamlessly into real-world clinical workflows, turning the vision of “imaging everyone” into a practical clinical reality.”
Dr. Max Ahnen, Co-Founder at Chief Science Officer at Positrigo
The project starts at a critical time for the Alzheimer’s disease community. In 2025, the first medicines designed to slow the course of the disease were approved in Europe. While this is an important breakthrough, many health systems are struggling to put new science into everyday practice. Long waiting lists, shortages of specialists and limited access to advanced tests mean that many people are still diagnosed and treated too late. At the same time, the number of people living with dementia continues to rise and is expected to exceed 19 million in Europe by 2050.
ACCESS-AD aims to tackle these challenges to help healthcare systems respond more quickly, efficiently and equitably. The project is developing a practical framework for diagnosis and treatment that combines brain scans, simple blood tests, digital tools and artificial intelligence to support doctors in making faster and more accurate decisions. The goal is to bring high-quality diagnosis and follow-up closer to patients, including outside major specialist centres.
The initiative covers the full patient journey: spotting early signs of disease, confirming a diagnosis, choosing the most suitable treatment, and monitoring patients safely over time. Alongside new medicines for Alzheimer’s disease, ACCESS-AD will also explore lifestyle interventions and nutritional approaches that may support brain health. Real-world data from patients in different countries will play a central role, helping decision-makers and healthcare providers understand what works best in everyday settings. Patients and carers are closely involved to ensure that care remains person-centred.
“Our vision is simple but ambitious: to make personalized care a reality for every patient with AD, regardless of where they live. ACCESS-AD brings together the clinical, scientific and societal stakeholders needed to turn innovation into everyday practice across Europe.”
Professor Frederik Barkhof from Amsterdam UMC and Clinical Lead of ACCESS-AD
About ACCESS-AD
ACCESS-AD receives funding under the auspices of the Innovative Health Initiative Joint Undertaking (IHI JU). The ACCESS-AD program has an initial budget of over €37 million, comprising ca. €20 million from the EU and ca. €17 million from the industry partners. The budget is distributed across the following 30 partners:
Stichting Amsterdam UMC, Siemens Healthineers AG, King’s College London, Gates Ventures LLC, Alzheimer Europe, Anavex Germany GmbH, Amsterdam UMC Research BV, Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen EV, Eisai Limited, Ethniko Kentro Erevnas Kai Technologikis Anaptyxis, Fakultni Nemocnice v Motole, Fraunhofer Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Angewandten Forschung EG, Fundacio de Recerca Clinic Barcelona – Institut d’Investigacions biomediques August pi Sunyer, Helse Stavanger HF, Hospital Clinic de Barcelona, InRAD – Stichting International Registry for Alzheimer’s Disease and other Dementia, Karolinska Institutet, Klinikum der Ludwig-Maximilians Universität München, Ludwig-Maximilians Universität München, Muhdo Health Ltd, National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, Neotiv GmbH, Neurimmune SubOne AG, Pohjois-Savon Hyvinvointialue, Positrigo AG, Region Stockholm, Societé de Produits Nestlé SA, Universidad de Navarra, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, University College London, University of Leicester
Acknowledgement
This project is supported by the Innovative Health Initiative Joint Undertaking (IHI JU) under grant agreement No 101253010. The JU receives support from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme and COCIR, EFPIA, Europa Bío, MedTech Europe, and Vaccines Europe, and Anavex, Muhdo and Neurimmune.
Disclaimer
ACCESS-AD is funded by the European Union, the private members, and those contributing partners of the IHI JU. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the aforementioned parties. None of the aforementioned parties can be held responsible for them.