New Imaging Agent Being Tested for Early Detection of Alzheimer’s

Published on the July 25, 2011, DiagnosticImaging.com

By Whitney L.J. Howell

A new imaging agent currently in Phase III clinical trials could soon make it possible for more radiologists to see beta-amyloid — the brain plaque associated with suspected Alzheimer’s disease — through PET scans.

According to David Wolk, MD, University of Pittsburgh neurology professor, flutemetamol, a tracer molecule associated with the isotope Fluorin-18, brings the same benefit to real-time patient care that Pittsburgh B-Compound (PiB) can only bring to neurological investigations.

“Because of the PiB compound’s 20-minute half-life, it’s really only played an active role in research. It degrades so quickly that it’s not practical to use with patients in the real world — only tertiary care centers have the machinery to make PiB onsite,” said Wolk, who presented his research on flutemetamol in living patients at the International Conference on Alzheimer’s Disease in Paris last week.

“With a nearly two-hour half-life, you can have flutemetamol manufactured elsewhere and delivered to you for medical scans.”

To read the article in its entirety: http://www.diagnosticimaging.com/pet-mr/content/article/113619/1913011