Tauklarify imaging is a brain PET scan that Lantheus announced on Aug. 14, 2026 as FDA-approved for adults with cognitive impairment being evaluated for Alzheimer's disease to identify tau tangles, in the Lantheus approval announcement.
Tau tangles are clumps of aggregated tau protein inside brain cells that mark where Alzheimer's-related damage has spread. For family caregivers, the news adds a clinic-based option for staging and treatment planning. It does not change daily care routines or replace the current memory evaluation.
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.
Table of Contents
- What does the scan show?
- How consistent are the readings?
- What are the limits?
- What should caregivers ask at the visit?
What does the scan show?
Tauklarify, previously called MK-6240, is an F-18-labeled tracer that binds selectively to aggregated tau protein. The tracer makes tau deposits visible on PET images during the memory workup.
The Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging describes Tauklarify as the second FDA-approved tau PET tracer after flortaucipir, and notes that it complements amyloid PET by showing where tau has accumulated and how far it has spread, in the Society's approval summary. Amyloid testing points to Alzheimer's pathology. Tau imaging adds location and spread.
How consistent are the readings?
Approval rested on blinded reads of images from 617 participants across three trials. NeurologyLive reported positive agreement of 68% to 88% and negative agreement of 93% to 99% across five readers, with strong inter-reader agreement, in the NeurologyLive approval report.
Fleiss kappa was 0.92 and 0.86, supporting consistent tau-positive versus tau-negative reads across centers. Safety data in 1,734 subjects showed infrequent adverse reactions. Labeling calls for radiation-safe handling, hydration and voiding guidance, and avoiding CYP1A2 inducers for seven days before imaging.
What are the limits?
A negative scan does not exclude tau pathology. Performance may be lower at earlier pathologic stages.
Practical Neurology reports that safety and effectiveness are not established for non-Alzheimer tauopathies, in the Practical Neurology approval summary. Families should treat the result as one piece of staging evidence. The clinical team interprets it with history, exams, cognitive testing, and other biomarkers.
What should caregivers ask at the visit?
Ask whether tau PET would change staging, referrals, or treatment planning beyond amyloid tests and blood markers. Bring current medicines, recent test results, and a list of symptoms with dates.
Write down the answers and confirm who will explain the scan result. Bring that person to the follow-up visit.
- What diagnosis is still uncertain after exams and blood or amyloid tests?
- How would a tau-positive or tau-negative result change the care plan?
- What preparation, time, travel, and follow-up does PET require?
- What are the expected timing and out-of-pocket cost at this center?
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