Healthcare Industry News: Bracco Group
News Release - September 23, 2008
Bracco Diagnostics Inc. and Lantheus Medical Imaging Enter into Agreement to Co-Promote Bracco's CardioGen-82(R) (Rubidium Rb 82 Generator)
Only FDA-approved Generator-based PET Perfusion Agent Reimbursed for Evaluation of Coronary Artery DiseasePRINCETON, N.J. & N. BILLERICA, Mass.--(HSMN NewsFeed)--Bracco Diagnostics Inc., the US-based subsidiary of Bracco Imaging SpA and part of the Bracco Group, and Lantheus Medical Imaging, Inc., both worldwide leaders in diagnostic imaging, announced today that the companies have entered into an agreement for Lantheus to co-promote Bracco’s CardioGen-82® (Rubidium Rb 82 Generator), a myocardial perfusion Positron Emission Tomography (PET) imaging agent. CardioGen-82 is the only generator-based PET perfusion agent approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and reimbursed for the evaluation of coronary artery disease (CAD).
CardioGen-82 was approved by the FDA in 1989 and has been used in hundreds of thousands of patients since then. CardioGen-82 PET myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) has experienced double digit year-over-year growth since 2003. It is expected that today’s agreement will further accelerate the rapid expansion of this modality.
“In seeking a partner to help us maximize the availability of CardioGen-82 to physicians whose patients may benefit from this PET imaging agent, we sought a company with vast experience in the myocardial perfusion imaging market and an extensive and knowledgeable sales force,” said Carlo Medici, president and CEO of Bracco Diagnostics Inc. “Lantheus Medical Imaging stood out as a company extremely well-suited for a partnership of this kind and we expect that this collaboration will quickly increase access to CardioGen-82.”
“This co-promotion agreement is a strategic fit for Lantheus and demonstrates our continued commitment to advancing the field of diagnostic imaging through our unparalleled distribution network, superior customer service and tremendous sales and medical affairs field organization,” said Don Kiepert, president and CEO of Lantheus Medical Imaging. “As we look toward the future of the nuclear cardiology market, we anticipate that PET will play an increasingly important role in the management of patients with CAD.”
About CardioGen-82
CardioGen-82 is the only FDA approved generator-based PET perfusion agent reimbursed for the evaluation of coronary artery disease. It is approved for use in distinguishing normal from abnormal myocardium in patients with suspected myocardial infarction.
As in the use of any radioactive material, care should be taken to minimize radiation exposure to the patient consistent with proper patient management and to ensure minimum radiation exposure to occupational workers. Radiopharmaceuticals should be used only by physicians who are qualified by training and experience in the safe use and handling of radionuclides and whose experience and training have been approved by the appropriate government agency authorized to license the use of radionuclides. Please see full prescribing information available with this release.
About Bracco Imaging
Bracco Imaging S.p.A. is one of the world’s leading companies in the diagnostic imaging business. Bracco Imaging develops, manufactures, and markets diagnostic imaging agents and solutions that meet medical needs and facilitate clinical solutions. Headquartered in Milan, Italy, Bracco Imaging operates in over 80 markets worldwide. Bracco Diagnostics Inc. is a U.S. subsidiary of Bracco Imaging.
Bracco Imaging is a subsidiary of Bracco S.p.A., the holding company of the Bracco Group which also markets Ethical and Over The Counter (OTC) pharmaceutical products in Italy as well as Advanced Medical Technology systems worldwide. Furthermore, the Bracco Group offers diagnosis services through the Milan-based Centro Diagnostico Italiano (Italian Diagnostic Center).
About Lantheus Medical Imaging
Lantheus Medical Imaging, a worldwide leader in diagnostic medicine for the past 50 years, is committed to advancing the field of diagnostic imaging. The company’s proven success in discovering, developing and marketing innovative medical imaging agents provides an unparalleled platform from which to bring forward breakthrough new tools for the diagnosis and management of disease. The company is home to leading diagnostic imaging brands, including Cardiolite® (Kit for the Preparation of Technetium Tc 99m Sestamibi for Injection), DEFINITY® Vial For (Perflutren Lipid Microsphere) Injectable Suspension, and TechneLite® (Technetium Tc 99m Generator) and has nearly 700 employees worldwide with headquarters in North Billerica, Massachusetts, and offices in Puerto Rico, Canada, and Australia. For more information, visit www.lantheus.com.
For CardioGen-82 Prescribing Information, please visit: http://www.cardiogen.com/pages/PI.htm
Source: Bracco Diagnostics
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