A new vascular ultrasound contrast agent under development by ImaRx Pharmaceutical has finishedphase I clinical trials, the Tucson company said this month. MRX-115Aerosomes is the first ImaRx agent based on the company's Aerosomestechnology, which ImaRx
A new vascular ultrasound contrast agent under development by ImaRx Pharmaceutical has finishedphase I clinical trials, the Tucson company said this month. MRX-115Aerosomes is the first ImaRx agent based on the company's Aerosomestechnology, which ImaRx claims may be able to significantly enhancegray-scale ultrasound scans in cardiac, blood pool, kidney andliver imaging.
MRX-115 Aerosomes consists of sterile phospholipid-coated microbubbleswith a mean diameter of 2.5 microns. ImaRx plans to use the Aerosomestechnology to develop targeted, site-specific agents for imagingand drug delivery for lymph nodes and diseased tissue.
ImaRx said the phase I trials gave positive results for useof MRX-115 in myocardial perfusion imaging and indicated thatthe agent has a wide safety profile relative to the dose neededfor clinical efficacy. Phase II trials will begin later this year,and ImaRx plans to pursue additional indications for MRX-115 suchas imaging of liver and kidney perfusion.
ImaRx is the developer of SonoRx, an oral ultrasound contrastagent for abdominal imaging under license to Bracco Diagnostics(SCAN 7/27/94 and 3/10/93).