Three flutemetamol clinical abstracts to be presented at 2011 Alzheimer's Association ICAD

Recent clinical research data reported that the investigational amyloid imaging agent [18F]Flutemetamol showed highly consistent image interpretation1 and showed comparable in vitro binding to the Pittsburgh Compound-B ([C-11]PiB)) investigational imaging agent3. Flutemetamol is a GE Healthcare Positron Emission Tomography (PET) investigational imaging agent currently in phase III development being studied for the detection of beta amyloid using PET brain scans.

The buildup of beta amyloid in the brain can lead to the degeneration of neurons and is one of several markers implicated in the development of AD. Currently, AD is typically confirmed by identifying the presence of tissue markers, including beta amyloid plaques, in post-mortem brain samples. Use of targeted imaging agents may help physicians detect amyloid deposition in live humans.

"These results should provide encouragement for patients and clinicians about the value of amyloid imaging in diagnosing AD," said Jonathan Allis, MI PET Segment Leader, GE Healthcare Medical Diagnostics. "Use of PET imaging scans to detect AD pathology may enable physicians to make a more accurate and earlier diagnosis of the disease."

Data highlights from three clinical abstracts to be featured at the 2011 Alzheimer's Association International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease (ICAD) in Paris suggest that:

• Flutemetamol reader training provided a highly consistent method for interpreting PET images. Readers blinded to clinical information demonstrated high inter- and intra-reader agreement rates when interpreting the brain distribution of Flutemetamol as normal and abnormal images.
• Flutemetamol imaging was consistent with the understanding that normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH), a progressive condition associated with dementia, gait abnormalities and urinary incontinence, represents a heterogeneous population with evidence of AD pathology.
• 6-CN-Flutemetamol is comparable to 6-CN-Pittsburgh Compound-B (PiB) in its ability to bind to beta amyloid in vitro.

"At GE Healthcare, we are fully committed to developing products and tools that enable physicians to make confident medical decisions, allowing patients to get accurate diagnosis earlier in the process," said Pascale Witz, CEO, GE Healthcare Medical Diagnostics.

Source: Edelman Public Relations