Bracco's Cardiogen-82(R) Enables Cardiologists to Better Detect
Cardiovascular Disease
OTTAWA, June 10 /CNW/ - MDS Nordion, a leading provider of medical
isotopes and radiopharmaceuticals, today announced that it has commenced the
manufacture of CardioGen-82(R) (Rubidium-82 generators), for Bracco
Diagnostics, Inc. (part of Bracco Group), one of the world's leading companies
in the imaging agent business.
MDS Nordion has designed and built a dedicated manufacturing suite within
its world-class, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved, Good
Manufacturing Practices (GMP)-compliant production facility in Ottawa.
Production of CardioGen-82 began yesterday.
CardioGen-82, the only generator-based, cardiac Positron Emission
Tomography (PET) perfusion imaging agent approved by the FDA, produces
Rubidium-82, using a specialized generator technology. Once administered to
the patient, Rubidium-82 is used as a PET imaging tracer for perfusion studies
of the heart to examine blood flow through heart vessels. PET is a highly
sensitive medical imaging technique that produces a three-dimensional image of
the functioning heart, allowing the cardiologist to identify regions of the
heart muscle receiving poor blood flow.
"There is growing interest in advanced molecular imaging technologies to
help better diagnose and treat disease," said Steve West, President of MDS
Nordion. "MDS Nordion provides a full spectrum of services for the development
and commercialization of novel radiopharmaceuticals. For more than 10 years,
companies like Bracco have been relying on our proven track record for
innovative solutions, quality, and reliability that make MDS Nordion the
partner of choice."
A 2007 Frost & Sullivan report entitled U.S. PET and PET-CT (Computerized
Tomography) Imaging Equipment Markets indicated that use of PET imaging as a
diagnostic tool is on the rise. For the period 2007-2014, the report projects
a total compounded annual growth rate of 17.3% for PET and PET-CT.
"This is an important milestone in the development of Bracco's innovative
cardiac imaging technology and the new MDS facility provides Bracco with a
world-class manufacturing capability with significant capacity for future
expansion to meet anticipated market growth," said Carlo Medici, President and
Chief Executive Officer of Bracco Diagnostics, Inc. "MDS Nordion's unique
expertise in the development and manufacture of radiopharmaceuticals, along
with its highly specialized facilities, made them an obvious choice when
Bracco looked to expand its CardioGen-82 production capacity."
MDS Nordion offers tailored solutions, leading expertise and service
capabilities for radiopharmaceutical development, clinical and commercial
manufacturing, and radiation-based medical device development.
