New Company to Promote Use of Cardiac PET

ICS will provide turnkey services that enable outpatient cardiology groups and heart centers to implement cardiac PET perfusion imaging technology for the detection of cardiovascular disease.

"The formation of ICS will lead an evolution in the field of cardiology,” said Carlo Medici, president and CEO of Bracco Diagnostics, Inc. (Princeton, NJ, USA). "Practices will now have an unprecedented opportunity to, first and foremost, offer expanded imaging services to their patients and, secondly, to improve the efficiency of their business. ICS and its wide array of services will be there to help them implement cardiac PET perfusion imaging every step of the way.”

Two recent clinical studies indicate that PET perfusion imaging is more accurate in the detection of coronary artery disease than the widely used single photon emission tomography (SPECT) perfusion imaging modality, particularly in women. Furthermore, the average time required for a cardiac PET perfusion test is about 30 minutes, versus three to four hours for the average cardiac SPECT perfusion scan, making cardiac PET more convenient for patients.

Cardiac PET perfusion imaging predominately uses the radionuclide rubidium-82, which can be derived from CardioGen-82 (rubidium Rb 82 generator), the only U.S Food and Drug Administration- (FDA)-approved generator-based cardiac PET perfusion agent. Over the past 18 months, the number of new CardioGen-82 sites has increased by nearly 90%. The adoption of cardiac PET in the outpatient setting is gaining favor among many cardiologists.

"I see ICS filling a missing piece in the rapidly emerging field of cardiac PET perfusion imaging. This venture will create a practical bridge, assisting practices in successfully implementing cardiac PET imaging as a significant and valued element in their patient management options,” stated Bill Abbott, vice president and general manager of nuclear medicine at Bracco Diagnostics.


Related Links:
Bracco Diagnostics
Integrated Cardiac Solutions