Cardinal Health to produce new AD diagnostic imaging agent, Amyvid

Jun 2 2012

Cardinal Health today announced that it will manufacture and distribute Amyvid, Eli Lilly and Company's new diagnostic imaging agent that aids in the evaluation of adult patients with cognitive impairment who are being evaluated for Alzheimer's Disease and other causes of cognitive decline. The commercial launch of Amyvid is scheduled for June 1, 2012.

Amyvid works by binding to amyloid plaques, one of the necessary pathological features of Alzheimer's Disease, and is detected using PET scan images of the brain. 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 is important to note that Amyvid is an adjunct to other diagnostic evaluations, and 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 when used to monitor responses to therapies.

Radioactive agents like Amyvid are often likened to "shrinking ice cubes," because once they are manufactured, their radioactivity quickly decays. Amyvid loses over half of its radioactivity every two hours, so the sites that manufacture it need to be located in close proximity to hospitals and health centers that will use it.

Cardinal Health will manufacture and distribute Amyvid at seven sites throughout the U.S. beginning in June 2012, with a potential expansion to 12 locations by the end of the calendar year.

Through its broad nationwide network of manufacturing facilities and radiopharmacies, Cardinal Health's Nuclear Pharmacy Services business can reach more than 90 percent of all U.S. hospitals within three hours' time – empowering the company to play a critical role in quickly expanding access to imaging agents. The company's sophisticated radiopharmaceutical manufacturing infrastructure, broad nuclear pharmacy scale, comprehensive fleet and logistics capabilities also enable it to play a critical role in supporting clinical trials of both proprietary and non-proprietary imaging agents.

"We are excited to play an important role in efficiently and safely getting this innovative imaging agent in the hands of clinicians and imaging professionals so they can expand their arsenal of tools to help in the evaluation of Alzheimer's Disease and other causes of cognitive decline," said John Rademacher, president of Cardinal Health's Nuclear Pharmacy Services business. "We consider it a privilege to have the opportunity to manufacture and distribute diagnostic agents like Amyvid because we know that each dose can aid our customers in the evaluation of patients."