University of Coimbra produces innovative radiopharmaceutical for Alzheimer’s diagnosis

The University of Coimbra (UC) will start manufacturing a radiopharmaceutical — unavailable in Portugal until now — that can detect tau protein aggregates in the brain, enabling more accurate diagnoses of Alzheimer’s disease. The imaging tests can be done using the PET (Positron Emission Tomography) scanner at the Institute for Nuclear Sciences Applied to Health (ICNAS), which produces the radiopharmaceutical through its subsidiary, ICNAS Pharma.

This innovative radiopharmaceutical will transform the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease using PET scanning. Until now, the most common method involved PET scans to detect fibrillar and plaque beta-amyloid, also conducted at ICNAS. However, while this imaging test is very useful for the early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease, it does not significantly correlate with its clinical severity. This new approach fills that gap by detecting tau protein aggregates, which are present in all Alzheimer’s patients and indicate the progression of the disease. “The detection of tau protein aggregates in the brain allows for a more accurate diagnosis and staging of the disease, correlating it with its severity and progression,” explains ICNAS Director Antero Abrunhosa.

ICNAS Pharma, a radiopharmaceutical development and manufacturing company owned by the University of Coimbra, has completed the production process for this new radiopharmaceutical following two years of research, paving the way for new avenues in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. “These studies might lead to the development of a new generation of pharmaceuticals that reduce tau aggregation and potentially improve the condition of people with Alzheimer’s,” adds Antero Abrunhosa.

ICNAS Pharma has been a pioneer in radiopharmaceutical production in Portugal since 2012. It has introduced seven products to the domestic market, produced over 300,000 doses, and is now expanding into five other European countries and Brazil.