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GE Healthcare expands MRI contrast media product range in Europe with launch of macrocyclic agent ClariscanTM

GE | March 1, 2017

GE Healthcare expands MRI contrast media product range in Europe with launch of macrocyclic agent Clariscan ^TM

Clariscan builds on GE Healthcare’s wide range of imaging products, services and support delivered to radiology professionals worldwide

Growing its range of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast media options available to patients and radiologists, GE Healthcare today announced the launch of Clariscan™ (gadoteric acid) at the European Congress of Radiology (ECR) 2017 meeting. Clariscan is a gadolinium-based contrast agent (GBCA) designed to support effective visualisation of abnormalities in the brain, spine and associated tissues, and will be provided alongside GE Healthcare’s comprehensive support services and solutions to healthcare practitioners worldwide.

Emmanuel Ligner, General Manager of Core Imaging for GE Healthcare Life Sciences, said: “Gadolinium-based agents are known to be a gold-standard detection tool in MR imaging, offering improved contrast between normal and pathological tissue to enable rapid detection of abnormalities. It is important that radiologists are able to make a contrast media selection dependent on the needs of individual patients.”

“We are therefore pleased to add Clariscan to the family of GE contrast media and imaging products alongside our existing linear agent for MRI, Omniscan, which has been used in routine diagnostic practice for over 25 years with over 80 million administrations. We believe macrocyclic Clariscan, manufactured using a proprietary GE process, extends choice for radiology professionals, backed by the well-established quality, reliability and surrounding services GE customers have come to expect.”

As a macrocyclic and ionic GBCA, Clariscan is available at a range of doses in vials and pre-filled syringes. It is the latest in a line of products and services provided by GE Healthcare to the radiology community, which include a wide range of contrast media as well as a portfolio of systems and products across MRI, X-ray/CT and ultrasound modalities. GE Healthcare has provided comprehensive partnership and support services to the radiology profession for over 30 years.

Demand for contrast media has significantly increased over the past decade due to rapid procedural advancements in MR imaging, elevating the importance of uninterrupted and sustainable product supply, as well as meeting the individual needs of patients undergoing diagnostic procedures. The company invested over USD 65 million in its worldwide supply network between 2013 and 2016, to increase manufacturing capacity. GE contrast media products are used in more than 70 million procedures per year, equivalent to injection in two patients per second. The company provides best-in-class service and supply of its contrast media portfolio to radiologists across all medical, technical and logistical aspects of imaging.

Clariscan™ has been approved using the decentralised procedure with marketing authorisation in place in Norway. It will be introduced to European countries across 2017. Healthcare professionals are advised to speak to their local GE Healthcare representative for information on local availability.

About GE Healthcare

GE Healthcare provides transformational medical technologies and services to meet the demand for increased access, enhanced quality and more affordable healthcare around the world. GE (NYSE: GE) works on things that matter - great people and technologies taking on tough challenges. From medical imaging, software & IT, patient monitoring and diagnostics to drug discovery, biopharmaceutical manufacturing technologies and performance improvement solutions, GE Healthcare helps medical professionals deliver great healthcare to their patients. For more information about GE Healthcare, visit our website at www.gehealthcare.com.