flubatine (18f)

flubatine (18f) is a high-affinity radiopharmaceutical used as a Positron Emission Tomography (PET) imaging agent. It specifically targets the alpha4beta2 subtype of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) in the brain. These receptors are involved in various cognitive functions and are known to be altered in neurodegenerative and psychiatric conditions. Developed primarily by researchers at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) and the University of Leipzig, flubatine (18f) (formerly known as NCU-118) was designed to overcome the slow kinetics of earlier nAChR tracers like [18F]2-FA. It exists as two enantiomers, (+)- and (-)-flubatine, with the (+)-enantiomer typically showing faster kinetics suitable for shorter imaging sessions. It is primarily investigated for the early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease and the study of nicotinic receptor density in conditions such as major depressive disorder and nicotine addiction.

Other names

[18F]flubatine18F-flubatine4-fluoro-epibatidine analog(+)-flubatine (18f)