FDA approves AMI's Gastromark agent

The Food and Drug Administration has approved a new drug application

for Gastromark, a gastrointestinal MRI contrast agent developed

by Advanced Magnetics of Cambridge, MA. Gastromark is a superparamagnetic

oral contrast agent that has been licensed to Mallinckrodt Medical

of St. Louis. The agent is marketed in Western Europe by Guerbet

under the trade name Lumirem. Gastromark will be priced at about

$25 per 300 mL, according to Jerome Goldstein, president and CEO

of Advanced Magnetics. Either 600 or 900 mL will likely be administered,

bringing the total cost to between $50 and $75 per patient.