Families now have two approved PET options for an Alzheimer's evaluation: amyloid PET for early plaques and tau PET with newly approved Tauklarify for tangles. Tauklarify (florquinitau F-18 injection) is a radioactive tracer that lights up tau neurofibrillary tangles inside neurons during a PET scan.
According to the Lantheus approval announcement, the FDA approved it on August 14, 2026 for adults with cognitive impairment being evaluated for Alzheimer's disease. Approval covers detection of tau tangle pathology, not treatment selection alone. Families facing early symptoms can use the two scans for different questions.
Medical information disclaimer: This article is for general educational purposes only and does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a physician or other qualified health professional about symptoms, medications, tests, or treatment decisions.
Official resources:
- Read the official notice from Lantheus — Use this primary source to verify the official announcement.
- Read the official notice from Neurologylive — Use this primary source to verify the official announcement.
Table of Contents
- What does each scan show?
- Why would a doctor add tau after amyloid?
- How well does Tauklarify work?
- What should younger-onset families ask?
What does each scan show?
Amyloid PET detects beta-amyloid plaques between neurons as an early signal. Tau PET detects tau tangles inside neurons that track more closely with cognitive decline and disease stage, according to Alzheimer's Association guidance.
Think of amyloid as an early risk marker and tau as a closer marker of symptoms. A positive amyloid scan can appear years before memory loss. A tau pattern helps explain current thinking problems and likely course.
Why would a doctor add tau after amyloid?
Amyloid answers whether Alzheimer pathology is present. Tau helps answer where a person stands and how fast change may follow.
NIH-funded research found tau-tangle PET, but not amyloid-plaque PET, predicted future brain-tissue loss. That finding supports using tau imaging to complement amyloid PET and stage disease. A neurologist may order tau when diagnosis, prognosis, or trial eligibility remains unclear after amyloid testing.
How well does Tauklarify work?
In two studies reported by NeurologyLive, five blinded readers classified scans from more than 617 participants. Positive agreement ranged from 68% to 88% and negative agreement from 93% to 99%, with strong interreader reliability.
Performance was strongest at the extremes of pathology. A positive scan strongly supports Alzheimer-related tau, while a mixed-range result needs clinical judgment. Readers agreed closely, but no scan replaces history, exam, and cognitive testing.
What should younger-onset families ask?
Younger-onset means diagnosis before age 65. The Alzheimer's Association and patient groups note tau PET can clarify complex or atypical cases and indicate disease position, which matters for work, childcare, and care planning.
Bring these questions to the memory clinic: Tauklarify carries a limitation of use because safety and effectiveness are not established for non-Alzheimer's tauopathies, performance was mainly validated at pathology extremes, and a negative scan does not exclude tangles, according to Pharmacy Times reporting. Ask how the team handles that uncertainty before scheduling.
- Is the diagnosis still uncertain after exam, MRI, spinal fluid, or amyloid testing?
- Would tau location change treatment, trial, safety, or work planning?
- Does the center offer Tauklarify, and what are out-of-pocket costs and radiation precautions?
- Who will explain a negative or borderline result in context?
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