A neutronic assessment of the performances of a helium-cooled Li8PbO6 breeding blanket (BB) for the conceptual design of a DEMO fusion reactor is given. Different BB configurations have been considered in order to minimize the amount of beryllium required for neutron multiplication, including the use of graphite as reflector material. The calculated neutronic responses: tritium breeding ratio (TBR), power deposition in TF coils and power amplification factor, indicate the feasibility of Li8PbO6 as breeding material. Furthermore, the synthesis and characterization of Li8PbO6 by X-ray phase analysis are also discussed.