Study shows new indication for AngioMark

In a preliminary clinical study codesigned by pharmaceutical firm Pfizer and researchers at the University of Washington Medical School, intravascular MRI contrast agent AngioMark has been shown effective in identifying and measuring the physiological changes that occur during female sexual arousal. The study, presented at the RSNA conference in December, used Epix Medical’s agent—which it is developing in collaboration with Mallinckrodt of St. Louis—to show how blood volume to the pelvic region increases during sexual arousal in women.

Eight healthy pre- and postmenopausal women were included in the study, which researchers hope will boost future efforts to determine how treatments for impaired sexual response and how various diseases affect sexual response in women, according to Dr. Wayne Carter of Pfizer Central Research.

AngioMark is in phase III trials to demonstrate its efficacy in detecting aortoiliac occlusive disease in patients with peripheral vascular disease or abdominal aortic aneurysm. In 1998, Cambridge, MA-based Epix and Pfizer forged an alliance to research the efficacy of AngioMark and MRI technology to diagnose and monitor female sexual arousal dysfunction. Pfizer developed and markets Viagra for erectile dysfunction in men.