Recently,?Meilleur, a?joint venture of?Sinotau, that holds global rights to?NAV-4694,?an ? amyloid PET imaging agent for Alzheimer’s disease,?was acquired by Lantheus.
Recently published updated guidelines developed by a working group of the National Institute on Aging and the Alzheimer’s Association (NIA-AA) state that Alzheimer’s disease should be defined biologically, using protein-based biomarkers. These guidelines recommend that biomarkers, including both amyloid- and tau-PET imaging, may be used to diagnose Alzheimer’s disease and provide an indication of its severity.1
NAV-4694 is currently in Phase 3 development and is also being used in academic and industry investigational therapeutic trials. The acquisition of this asset broadens Lantheus’ Alzheimer’s diagnostic portfolio and complements Lantheus’ next generation F18-labeled PET imaging agent candidate, MK-6240 (also known as florquinitau), which targets tau tangles in Alzheimer’s disease.
MK-6240 is an F18-labeled PET imaging agent with a high-affinity to Tau protein. The imaging agent has high contrast in the detection and imaging of Tau protein and can image pathological changes of Tau protein deposition in the brains of AD patients in a non-invasive, accurate, localized and quantitative manner.?Previously, Lantheus acquired global rights to MK-6240?through its acquisition of Cerveau, another entity in which Sinotau was a shareholder. Sinotau retained the rights within China?for MK-6240 under its existing sublicense with Cerveau.
Aβ-PET positive imaging can indicate the presence of AD pathological changes. When combined with Tau-PET test results, it offers significant value for early diagnosis, differential diagnosis, post-anti-Aβ therapy efficacy evaluation, and patient selection for AD drug clinical trials.
Under the terms of the agreement, Lantheus will provide an upfront payment as well as potential additional development and commercial milestone payments. Additionally, Lantheus will make royalty payments for research revenue and commercial sales. Structured as a stock purchase, the agreement specifies, among other things, that the sellers will also provide transition and clinical development services for a prescribed time following the closing of the transaction.
“This acquisition is truly exciting. We have high expectations for the application potential of Aβ-PET and Tau-PET in early diagnosis, clinical staging, and treatment efficacy evaluation of Alzheimer’s disease. Their combined use will provide robust evidence for clinical decision-making in Alzheimer’s diagnosis and treatment.” said Tang Yanmin, CEO, Sinotau.
About Sinotau
Sinotau is an innovative radiopharmaceutical company located in China and developing globally. Headquartered in Beijing, China, has modern radiopharmaceutical intelligent production sites in Jiangsu, Guangdong, and Sichuan, an early discovery center in Shanghai, and a branch in the United States. With three marketed products, and over 20 radiopharmaceuticals pipelines for precise diagnosis and targeted therapy across oncology, neurology and cardiology.
1.Jack CR, et.al. Revised criteria for diagnosis and staging of Alzheimer’s disease: Alzheimer’s Association Workgroup. Alzheimer’s Dement 2024;1-27. https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.13859