Clinical Study Shows Added Value of Amyloid PET Imaging in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Dementia

Early-onset dementia patients could benefit from a new PET imaging agent developed by a major medical imaging vendor.

The results of a clinical study showing the effectiveness of the amyloid PET imaging agent were presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC 2015) in Washington DC (USA).

According to the study, the amyloid PET imaging agent Vizamyl ([18F]Flutemetamol injection), which was developed by GE Healthcare (Chalfont St Giles, UK), increased the confidence of clinical diagnoses and resulted in a different care management plan for more than 33% of patients suspected of having early-onset dementia. The study was conducted by the VU University Medical Center (VUmc; Amsterdam, The Netherlands) and the University of Maastricht (Maastricht, The Netherlands).

Vizamyl was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA; Silver Spring, MD USA) for use in Positron-Emission Tomography (PET) imaging of the brain. The agent helps estimate β-amyloid neuritic plaque density, and is intended for adult patients who are being evaluated for diseases related to cognitive decline such as Alzheimer’s disease.
Ben Newton, director of neurology at GE Healthcare, said, “This study has generated evidence that adding a Vizamyl scan to the clinical workup of patients with early-onset dementia may influence diagnostic confidence leading to treatment decisions. Studies such as this one have started to bridge the gap between PET tracer regulatory approval and generation of data to demonstrate the potential value that Vizamyl can bring to the clinical assessment of patients with dementia.“

Related Links:
University of Maastricht
VUmc
GE Healthcare