Bracco, Lantheus Partner to Promote CardioGen 82 for PET Perfusion Imaging

September 24, 2008 - Bracco Diagnostics Inc. and Lantheus Medical Imaging Inc. said yesterday they 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 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. The companies said the 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.”

For more information: www.lantheus.com