Bracco and Toshiba Announce Cardiac Study

Bracco Diagnostics, Inc. (Princeton, N, USA) has partnered with Toshiba Medical Systems Corp. (Tustin, CA, USA) in a ground-breaking clinical trial geared at evaluating the viability of utilizing multislice computed tomography (MSCT) as a principal diagnostic test for identifying cardiovascular disease and disorders, in comparison to cardiac catheterization.

The study, named CorE 64 for Coronary Evaluation on 64, is the first multicenter clinical study to center mainly on CT angiography (CTA), using 64-slice CT technology. Patient assessments are expected to take place for several months, and the preliminary trial findings are planned for release in 2006.

Bracco contrast agent Isovue-370 (iopamidol injection 76%), the highest concentration iodine agent approved for CT imaging of cardiac patients, will be utilized in combination with Toshiba's CT systems, including the Aquilion CFX 64-slice CT scanner, 64-row Quantum detector, as well as the SureCardio and SurePlaque applicators.

"Bracco firmly believes this is a necessary endeavor, and that cardiologists and radiologists need a large-scale, controlled study to accurately gauge the viability of coronary CTA, clarify much of the prevailing hype, and perhaps instill greater confidence in this diagnostic imaging application,” said Carlo Medici, president and CEO of Bracco.

According to Bracco, Isovue-370 was chosen for the trial because it is the only product in the United States that is approved at this iodine concentration (370 mg/ml) for CT applications. The use of high iodine nonionic agents in conjunction with MSCT is already widely accepted among the imaging community. High concentration agents can provide the needed iodine delivery rate (IDR) safely and still equal the power and speed of 64-slice CT scanners.




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