Eli Lilly and Company and Avid Radiopharmaceuticals Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Lilly, have received a positive opinion from the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) in Europe, recommending approval of Amyvid (Florbetapir F 18) solution for injection as a diagnostic radiopharmaceutical indicated for Positron Emission Tomography (PET) imaging of beta-amyloid neuritic plaque density in the brains of adult patients with cognitive impairment who are being evaluated for Alzheimer's disease and other causes of cognitive impairment. Amyvid should be used in conjunction with a clinical evaluation.

The positive opinion is now referred for final action to the European Commission, which has the authority to approve medicines for the European Union (EU). The Commission usually decides on CHMP recommendations within three months.

"If approved in the European Union, Amyvid may offer an innovative and appropriate adjunct to other diagnostic evaluations for adult patients with cognitive impairment who are being evaluated for Alzheimer's disease and other causes of cognitive impairment," said Diane Bakaysa, Amyvid global brand leader. "We are pleased by the recommendation as it brings us one step closer to providing Amyvid to physicians and their patients who may benefit from the tool."

Amyvid for intravenous use was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in April 2012 and is supplied in 10 mL, 30 mL, or 50 mL multidose vials containing 500-1900 MBq/mL Florbetapir F 18. Amyvid is a radioactive diagnostic agent indicated for PET imaging of the brain to estimate beta-amyloid neuritic plaque density in patients with cognitive impairment who are being evaluated for Alzheimer's disease and other causes of cognitive decline.

A negative Amyvid scan indicates sparse to no amyloid plaques are currently present, which is inconsistent with a neuropathological diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease and reduces the likelihood that a patient's cognitive impairment is due to Alzheimer's disease. A positive Amyvid scan indicates moderate to frequent amyloid plaques are present; this amount of amyloid plaque is present in patients with Alzheimer's disease, but may also be present in patients with other types of neurologic conditions and in older people with normal cognition.

It's important to note that Amyvid is an adjunct to other diagnostic evaluations. A positive Amyvid scan does not establish a diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease or other cognitive disorder. Additionally, the safety and effectiveness of Amyvid have not been established for predicting development of dementia or other neurologic condition, or monitoring responses to therapies.

Amyvid is a radioactive diagnostic agent, tagged with a radioisotope called fluorine-18. Once Amyvid is injected into a vein, it travels through the bloodstream and into the brain, binding to amyloid plaques. Amyvid produces a positron signal, which is detected by a PET scanner and used to create a brain image. A physician who should have successfully completed Amyvid reader training then interprets the image to evaluate as positive or negative for significant levels of amyloid plaques (i.e., moderate to frequent levels of neuritic plaques) in the brain. This information is reported back to the referring physician, who then determines the next steps in the evaluation and management of the patient.

In the United States, Amyvid is indicated for Positron Emission Tomography (PET) imaging of the brain to estimate beta-amyloid neuritic plaque density in adult patients with cognitive impairment who are being evaluated for Alzheimer's Disease (AD) and other causes of cognitive decline.