Posicam nets Japanese clearance

Financially troubled PET developer Positron appears to be making progress with its revival plans. The Houston-based firm has received approval from the Japanese Ministry of Health & Welfare for its Posicam-HZ Series PET scanner. The Posicam scanners will be marketed and distributed in Japan exclusively by Imatron Japan, an independent distributor in which ultrafast CT developer Imatron maintains a 24% equity stake. Imatron, of South San Francisco, CA, took over as controlling shareholder in Positron earlier this year (SCAN 2/3/99).

Upon completion of an expected major third-party equity financing deal, Positron will be well positioned to take advantage of PET market opportunities in Japan and the U.S., said Imatron CEO Lewis Meyer. Imatron hopes that the 24 Japanese customers of Imatron’s ultrafast CT scanner will be interested in utilizing PET and ultrafast CT as complementary imaging modalities.