American Biogenetic pursues MH-1 agent

American Biogenetic Sciences of Boston is investigating the development of a new radiopharmaceutical for imaging pulmonary embolism. The company's MH-1 agent has completed phase I/phase II trials at Albany Medical Center, where preliminary results indicate that the agent may improve detection of pulmonary embolism.

Some 600,000 people in the U.S. annually develop pulmonary embolism, which occurs when blood clots travel from other parts of the body and lodge in the lung. The disease is the third most common cause of death in the U.S., according to the company.

MH-1 is a technetium-labeled agent that may help physicians identify pulmonary embolism early by locating the source of the clot. A case report on the Albany Medical Center study is featured in the June issue of Clinical Nuclear Medicine, and the study was presented at last month's Society of Nuclear Medicine meeting in San Antonio.