LONDON, July 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Piramal Imaging joins its industry partners in applauding interim results from the ongoing "Imaging Dementia – Evidence for Amyloid Scanning" (IDEAS) clinical trial, in which pre-defined patients are undergoing positron emission tomography (PET) scanning of beta-amyloid deposits in their brains, a core feature of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Piramal Imaging's FDA-approved diagnostic radiotracer for brain beta-amyloid detection, NeuraceqTM (florbetaben F18 injection), is one of three radiotracers used in the IDEAS trial. The company is also providing funding and support for the study, which is evaluating the impact of brain amyloid PET imaging on medical management and health outcomes in enrolled patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or atypical dementia.

In a presentation at the 2017 Alzheimer's Association International Conference (AAIC 2017), the Principal Investigator Gil Rabinovici, MD, of the Memory and Aging Center, University of California, San Francisco, reported findings from the first 3,979 IDEAS trial participants for whom case report forms were completed both before and 90 days after PET scanning. The investigators observed changes in medical management in 67.8% of patients with MCI, of whom 47.8% experienced changes in their AD drug regimens, 36.0% had other drugs changed, and 23.9% underwent changes in counseling.

"The interim results from the IDEAS Study suggest we are well on track to see beneficial results at the level we originally envisioned, and perhaps even greater, regarding changes in medical management based on having a brain amyloid PET scan," commented James Hendrix, PhD, Alzheimer's Association Director of Global Science Initiatives. "We look forward to working with the study scientists to report the final results."
Launched in 2016, the IDEAS trial is being led by the Alzheimer's Association, and managed by the American College of Radiology (ACR) and American College of Radiology Imaging Network (ACRIN). The trial is being conducted at roughly 200 sites throughout the United States, and will enroll more than 18,000 Medicare beneficiaries age 65 years or older with MCI or atypical dementia who meet published Appropriate Use Criteria (AUC) for clinical amyloid PET scanning.

"We salute the IDEAS investigators and the participating patients for providing such a strong indication of the value of beta-amyloid imaging, particularly in terms of influencing patient management," said Andrew Stephens, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Medical Officer of Piramal Imaging. "The early results validate our ongoing support of the IDEAS trial, which reflects our commitment to enhancing understanding of the role of beta-amyloid imaging in individuals with cognitive impairment or dementia. We look forward to receiving full results from the IDEAS trial, which we hope will lead to improved health outcomes in the management of Alzheimer's disease and related disorders."

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