MDS Nordion Begins to Manufacture Cardiac Imaging Agent
10 Juni 2009 - 2:00PM
PR Newswire (US)
Bracco's Cardiogen-82(R) Enables Cardiologists to Better Detect
Cardiovascular Disease OTTAWA, June 10 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ --
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. MDS Nordion has GMP-compliant facilities in Ottawa and
Vancouver, Canada, and Fleurus, Belgium that can accommodate a
variety of development, manufacturing, and supply requirements.
About Bracco Imaging S.p.A. 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, either directly or
indirectly, through subsidiaries, joint ventures, licenses, and
distribution partnership agreements. 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). For more information, visit
http://www.braccoimaging.com/. About MDS Nordion MDS Nordion, a
business unit of MDS Inc., is a global leader in providing medical
isotopes for molecular and diagnostic imaging, radiotherapeutics,
and sterilization technologies for medical products that benefit
the lives of millions of people in more than 50 countries around
the world. MDS Nordion products and services are used on a daily
basis by pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, medical-device
manufacturers, hospitals, clinics, and research laboratories. Find
out more at http://www.mdsnordion.com/ About MDS MDS Inc. (TSX:
MDS; NYSE: MDZ) is a global life sciences company that provides
market-leading products and services that our customers need for
the development of drugs, and the diagnosis and treatment of
disease. We are a leading global provider of pharmaceutical
contract research, medical isotopes for molecular imaging,
radiotherapeutics, and analytical instruments. MDS has more than
5,000 highly skilled people in 29 countries. Find out more at
http://www.mdsinc.com/ or by calling 1-888-MDS-7222, 24 hours a
day. DATASOURCE: MDS Nordion CONTACT: MEDIA: Shelley Maclean, (613)
592-3400, ext. 2414, ; INVESTORS: Kim Lee, (416) 213-4721,
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