The Food and Drug Administration has approved a drug that helps detect tau proteins in the brain, a sign of Alzheimer’s disease.
Tauvid, a radioactive diagnostic agent made by Eli Lilly and Company, may be used as an intravenous injection in adults with cognitive impairment who are being evaluated for Alzheimer’s, the agency has announced.
The drug is the first to make tau protein clumps visible in positron emission tomography scans used for Alzheimer’s screening, according to the FDA. Tau protein clumps are a telltale sign of Alzheimer’s, along with beta-amyloid plaques. Radiologists have been able to detect beta-amyloid on scans using another radioactive drug, while tau was previously only detectable by autopsy, according to the drugmaker.
“This approval will provide healthcare professionals with a new type of brain scan to use in patients being evaluated for Alzheimer’s disease,” said Charles Ganley, M.D., a director in FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research.
Availability of Tauvid will be limited until demand and payor reimbursement is assessed, the drugmaker said.
