BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Cerveau Technologies Inc. today announced an agreement with VU Medical Center (VUmc) in Amsterdam, to support multiple projects over the next several years. These research projects are for studies of an early stage imaging agent (MK-6240) to be used in Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scans for assessing the status and progression of neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) in the brain. NFTs made up of aggregated tau protein are a hallmark of several neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease.
As part of the agreement, Cerveau will contract with the VUmc to manufacture and supply the [18F]MK-6240 needed for initiatives in the greater Amsterdam area.
According to Dr. Arjen Brussaard from VUmc “there is a large unmet need in the academic clinical setting, as well as with biotech and the pharmaceutical industry, to properly monitor and quantify the spread of tau pathology using positron emission tomography-PET. When Cerveau provided us the opportunity to work with the new tau imaging agent MK 6240 we eagerly pursued this opportunity since in many of the upcoming clinical trials in the field of Alzheimer’s Disease, the tau-opathy is becoming a primary outcome parameter given the fact that it correlates better with cognitive impairment in patients than for instance, beta-amyloid.”
“Cerveau welcomes this opportunity to work with the VUmc researchers to understand the application of MK-6240 and how it may benefit patients with this devastating disease. The collaboration with VUmc will provide access to our pharmaceutical partners in support of various therapy trials as well facilitate novel research at VUmc in the pursuit of evaluating potential preventive treatment options for Alzheimer’s disease,” said Rick Hiatt, President and CEO of Cerveau Technologies, Inc.
About VU Medical Center Amsterdam
VUmc’s Radionuclide research in the field of Neurology is mainly embedded in the VUmc research institute Amsterdam Neuroscience (www.amsterdam-neuroscience.org). Together with the BV Cyclotron, in VUmc new radionuclide production methods and applications are investigated. In particular, VUmc has strong expertise in quantitative PET imaging and can even combine these with PET-MRI imaging. This combined with the fact that implementation of reliable and GMP compliant production methods at the BV Cyclotron VU is being assisted by researchers of the radiopharmaceutical chemistry section, makes VUmc in Amsterdam one of the preferred centers for molecular imaging in dementia research.
About Cerveau Technologies, Inc.
Cerveau Technologies, Inc. is a partnership between Enigma Biomedical Group, Inc. and Sinotau Pharmaceutical Group. Cerveau's vision is to globally develop diagnostics and technology that positively impact patients with neurodegenerative disorders including Alzheimer's disease.
