Sonus discusses new agent at AHA show

Researchers working with ultrasound contrast developer Sonus Pharmaceuticalspresented data about a new contrast agent, QW7437, at last week'sAmerican Heart Association meeting in New Orleans. The Bothell,WA, company said QW7437 is a third-generation agent that studiesindicate may be capable of producing myocardial perfusion at lowdoses with no hemodynamic effects.

Researchers from the University of California at San Diegoworking with the new agent presented data from animal studiesfor the first time at a major medical conference. QW7437 is aphase-shift emulsion that is stabilized with a negative-chargedsurfactant.

Investigators at the AHA meeting also presented data on thecompany's lead EchoGen agent, including an animal study by DukeUniversity researchers in which EchoGen was used to make 3-D measurementsof the left ventricle muscle mass in a single cardiac cycle.