Molecule Digest: Flortaucipir F18

MoleculeDigest:  Flortaucipir F18

The guest is  Flortaucipir F18, FDA-approved diagnostic agent for patients with Alzheimer’s disease(2020/05/28).

1: Can you show me your self-portrait? 

Eli Lilly named me Tauvid. I am heteroaromatic indole derivative. What makes me outstanding is the radioactive Fluorine-18.

2: What is your birth story?

I am the first and only approved diagnostic agent to image tau NFTs in the brain. Avid Radiopharmaceuticals, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Eli Lilly and Company developed me to provide physicians with meaningful information on the presence of both pathologies to aid the evaluation of patients suspected of having AD.

3: How do you work inside body?

I am injected via vein. The major route of elimination for is via the kidney

4:How do I know it is YOU?

I have ID number, CAS# 1522051-90-6. DrugBank ID:

4: What can you do?

I can detect NFTs on PET scan images of the brain with suspected Alzheimer’s disease (AD). NFTs are deposits of tau protein that are present in the brains of patients with AD.

5: What are your dark sides?

  As a radioactive drug, I may increase the risk of lifetime radiation exposure. The most common side effects are headache, injection site pain, and increased blood pressure.