Evaluation of a novel series of fluorine-18-labeled imidazobenzodiazepines as potential new positron emission tomography radioligands for the GABAA receptor

These studies have demonstrated that compounds based on [18F]flumazenil, but with alterations to allow improved radiosynthesis, can be prepared which have ideal properties and warrant further evaluation as PET agents for the GABAA receptor. In particular, compounds 3 and 5 show very promising profiles with specific binding and in vivo stability comparable to flumazenil.