Lantheus Holdings, Inc. announced a collaboration agreement with a National Institute on Aging (NIA)-sponsored study called the Consortium for Clarity in ADRD Research Through Imaging (CLARiTI). This agreement enables the consortium to use MK-6240, Lantheus' clinical-stage F18-labeled Positron Emission Tomography (PET) imaging agent, in its investigation of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. MK-6240 targets aggregated tau protein in the form of neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) which are a hallmark of several neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease.

The CLARiTI study will involve all 37 Alzheimer's Disease Research Centers in the United States which will recruit 2,000 subjects and collect their imaging and blood-based biomarker data to generate etiologic profiles for cases of mixed dementia. Clarity in Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias Research Through Imaging (CLARITI) is a multi-site imaging observational study that will be conducted at all 37 Alzheimer's Disease Research centers (ADRCs) in the United States. The study will collect data about the presence, absence or change in characteristic disease biomarkers in people who have various types of dementia or are at risk of developing it.

CLARiTI is a five-year study that will enroll 2,000 subjects across the U.S. Data generated from CLARiTI will be made available to the scientific community through the National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center, and biological samples will be analyzed and made available through the National Centralized Repository for Alzheimer's Disease and RelatedDementias. Alzheimer's disease is a progressive degenerative brain disease and the most common form of dementia. Dementia is the loss of cognitive functioning and behavioral abilities to such an extent that it interferes with a person's daily life and activities.

Dementia is not a specific disease; it describes a group of symptoms that often has a mixture of etiologies. It is estimated that 6.7 million Americans age 65 and older are currently living with Alzheimer's dementia. As the population ages, it is projected that by 2050, this number may grow to 12.7 million.