With the acquisition of Meilleur Technologies, Lantheus is expanding its portfolio of PET imaging agents for Alzheimer’s disease. Under the terms of the agreement, Meilleur’s radiopharmaceutical diagnostic—which identifies beta-amyloid plaques in the brain—is exclusively licensed to Lantheus for global use. The injectable drug, often called F18-flutafuranol or NAV-4694, is currently in phase 3 development.
The purchase was made a few days after the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) proposed paying for certain diagnostic radiopharmaceuticals and nuclear medicine imaging agents separately, instead of combining them into one operation, as was previously the case. This modification was included in CMS’s proposal for the 2025 calendar year payment schemes for ambulatory surgery centers and hospital outpatient services. Following the news, Lantheus’ stock price surged by about 60%.
The agreement also comes after Eli Lilly’s Alzheimer’s medication, Kisunla (donanemab-abzt), received FDA clearance earlier this month. Kisunla is seen as a rival to Biogen and Eisai’s Leqembi in the rapidly developing field of anti-amyloid medicines.
In a statement, Lantheus CEO Brian Markison emphasized that the acquisition “solidifies our commitment to neurology, specifically for Alzheimer’s disease management, and reinforces our radiopharmaceutical leadership.” Meilleur’s NAV-4694 was positioned to complement the company’s PET agent MK-6240, which targets tau tangles in Alzheimer’s disease.
According to the firms, around 12 million Americans currently suffer from moderate cognitive impairment or Alzheimer’s disease, and it is anticipated that this figure might rise to 20 million by 2050. “We are in a position to offer significant insights for directing the use and evaluating the impact of novel disease-modifying Alzheimer’s treatments with the combination of MK-6240 and NAV-4694,” Markison stated. Lantheus previously purchased MK-6240, commonly referred to as florquinitau, an F18-labeled agent, when it acquired Cerveau Technologies in February 2023.
Although the financial details of Lantheus’ agreement with Meilleur were not made public, the firms stated that the stock purchase plan includes royalties, additional R&D and commercial milestones, and an upfront payment. For a predetermined period, Meilleur will also provide transitional clinical development services.
Meilleur CEO Rick Hiatt expressed excitement about the potential of NAV-4694 to identify Alzheimer’s patients sooner and allow doctors to choose the best candidates for prompt treatment approaches.
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