Recent trends in neurodegeneration research have been aimed at developing new 
amyloid ligands for the neuroimaging of dementia. Among the positron emission 
tomography (PET) radiotracers, fluorodeoxyglucose F 18 ((18)F-FDG) is the 
compound most widely used in the diagnosis of neurodegenerative dementias. 
However, this compound shows a level of specificity and sensitivity for early 
Alzheimer's disease detection that is lower than that provided by high-affinity 
ligands for β-amyloid (Aβ). Among the new widely available fluorine 18 
((18)F)-labeled Aβ ligands, florbetapir F 18 ((18))F-AV-45; Amyvid™) showed 
clear qualitative and quantitative correlations between in vivo PET imaging and 
postmortem histopathologic analysis of Aβ. Florbetapir F 18 stands out for its 
high Aβ affinity and its pharmacokinetic properties that allow 10-minute PET 
scan imaging within 90 minutes after administration (dose = 370 MBq). 
Importantly, no safety concerns for florbetapir F 18 were found in preclinical 
studies. In 2012, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Amyvid as 
a radiotracer helpful for excluding the presence of Aβ in the brain. It was then 
approved earlier this year by the European Medicines Agency (EMA).