Medco licenses new radiopharmaceutical

Drug developer Medco Research has acquired a new technetium-basedcardiac radiopharmaceutical, the Research Triangle Park, NC, companyannounced last week. Medco acquired the agent through a licensingdeal with the product's developer, Molecular Targeting Technologyof Malvern, PA. The drug, called technetium-99m Glucarate, isdesigned for the early diagnosis of acute myocardial infarctionand is in phase-I clinical trials.

Medco will have exclusive worldwide rights to develop, manufactureand market the agent. Molecular Targeting will retain rights inAsia, with the exception of Japan.

Another Medco cardiac imaging agent, ViaScint, has completedphase-III trials and the company is planning to file a new drugapplication shortly. ViaScint is designed to help predict whichpatients will have improvement in cardiac function following revascularization.