General Electric Co is finishing clinical trials for an agent designed to detect early signs of Alzheimer's and expects to seek regulatory approval by year's end, its executive leading the process said. GE, Eli Lilly and Co and Bayer AG are all developing similar compounds, which stick to amyloid plaques in the brain and light up on positron emission tomography or PET scans. If approved, the compounds will be used to help doctors rule out Alzheimer's in people. Lilly unit Avid Radiopharmaceuticals was first to seek U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval for its tracer, called florbetapir or Amyvid, but was dealt a setback when the agency said it should develop training programs to ensure the tests are read in a consistent manner.
