MDS Nordion to manufacture Molecular Insight's lead molecular imaging pharmaceutical New iodine-123 based cardiac imaging pharmaceutical, BMIPP, in advanced clinical development OTTAWA, Canada, June 17 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- MDS Nordion and Molecular Insight Pharmaceuticals have signed a development and contract manufacturing agreement to produce BMIPP. BMIPP is Molecular Insight's lead molecular imaging pharmaceutical. BMIPP is currently in a multi-center Phase IIb clinical trial in the United States, for the detection of cardiac ischemia in the emergency department setting. BMIPP is labelled with MDS Nordion's high- purity iodine- 123 to provide superior imaging quality. The new cardiac imaging pharmaceutical will be manufactured at MDS Nordion's cyclotron facility in Vancouver, Canada. "We are very pleased to be working with MDS Nordion, the world's leading manufacturer of iodine-123 for the clinical and commercial supply of BMIPP. Their experience and proven expertise in manufacturing the highest quality radionuclides make them an ideal partner for Molecular Insight," said David S. Barlow, Chairman and CEO of Molecular Insight. "We look forward to working together in the development and commercial phases of BMIPP's very promising future." BMIPP's first indication will be for imaging ischemia in the emergency department - one of the most difficult clinical challenges in emergency medicine. This compound's demonstrated ability to detect ischemia in chest pain patients at rest up to 30 hours after the cardiac event occurs should enable the widespread use of imaging in the emergency department for more rapid diagnosis. The ability to image patients in the emergency department and other acute settings has the potential to significantly reduce the time to treatment thereby limiting damage to the heart tissue and eliminating unnecessary hospitalizations that account for more than $13 billion in the United States alone. MDS Nordion is a world leader in the manufacturing of I-123 production systems and the major supplier of I-123 in North America. To meet growing demand for medical isotopes, a new $20-million CDN cyclotron facility, with additional manufacturing and processing capacity, was opened last year in Vancouver, Canada. The investment reinforces MDS Nordion's ability to ensure a secure and reliable supply of medical isotopes to global markets. "Molecular Insight wanted a manufacturer that could meet their requirements as BMIPP moves through clinical trials and ultimately commercial success," says Steve West, President and COO at MDS Nordion. "With access to multiple cyclotrons in Vancouver, MDS Nordion has the capacity to provide a reliable supply of I-123. Our responsive distribution system, unique order management and logistics expertise ensures both quality and the timely delivery of products. This is critical when manufacturing and distributing molecular imaging pharmaceuticals with short-lived isotopes." MDS Nordion has over 50 year of experience and offers consistent product quality, flexible product options, responsive customer service and strong technical and scientific expertise. MDS Nordion's GMP-compliant (Good Manufacturing Practice) facilities located in Ottawa and Vancouver, Canada, and Fleurus, Belgium, accommodate a variety of development, manufacturing and supply requirements. About MDS Nordion MDS Nordion (http://www.mds.nordion.com/) is a world leader in radioisotopes, radiation and related technologies. MDS Nordion is part of MDS Inc. At MDS Inc., our 10,000 highly skilled people provide services, products and instruments enabling health sciences organizations to enhance the well being of people around the world. We focus on helping discover and test new drugs, assisting doctors to diagnose and treat patients and preventing the spread of disease. Find out more about MDS Inc. (TSX: MDS; NYSE: MDZ), at http://www.mdsintl.com/ or by calling 1-888-MDS-7222, 24 hours a day. About Molecular Insight Pharmaceuticals Molecular Insight Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a privately held biopharmaceutical company focused on leveraging its proprietary technology platforms in molecular medicine to develop innovative pharmaceuticals to diagnose and treat disease. These products are designed to improve the management of disease by targeting, visualizing, treating and monitoring disease at the molecular level. The company, based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, has established a strong pipeline of molecular imaging candidates focused on the large and growing markets in cardiology, oncology and neurology. Molecular Insight is also applying its platform technologies to develop targeted radiotherapeutics for the treatment of cancer. http://www.molecularinsight.com/ DATASOURCE: MDS Nordion CONTACT: Olivia Nixon, Media Relations, MDS Nordion, Tel: (613) 592-3400 ext. 2832, E-mail:

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