Lilly Buys Novel Tau Tangle Diagnostic Progra

Eli Lilly and Company

today announced it has acquired two investigational positron emission tomography (PET) tracers from Siemens Medical Solutions USA, Inc. The tracers are intended to image tau (or neurofibrillary) tangles in the brain, one of two known hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease. Based on studies of samples obtained at autopsy, the amount and location of tau tangles in an Alzheimer's disease patient's brain is thought to correlate with the severity of the disease. There are currently no approved diagnostics to detect tau tangles in living patients, creating challenges for scientists working to understand the progression of the disease and how therapies may impact it. Lilly will initially focus on incorporating this new technology into its anti-amyloid and anti-tau research and development (R&D) programs. Use of a tau tangle tracer could enable tailoring and early identification of at-risk patients, as well as potentially provide a marker for treatment response. Lilly also has the option to commercialize the tracers. The tracers will be developed and validated by a team at Avid Radiopharmaceuticals, Lilly's wholly owned subsidiary focused on molecular imaging. Financial terms of the deal are not being disclosed.