Short name: NC100150, PEG-feron, generic name: Feruglose, preliminary trade name: Clariscanâ„¢
NC100150 injection is the code name for an USPIO (ultrasmall superparamagnetic iron oxide) MRI contrast agent under development. Microvessel permeability depends on functional and morphologic characteristics of cancer vessels and on physicochemical properties of the injected contrast medium molecule.
USPIO particles have a favorable pharmacological and tolerance profile and are being tested clinically of the potential for the quantitative characterization of tumor microvasculature and specifically for measures of the microvessel permeability. Iron-based products take advantage of their large molecular size, which prevents diffusion into body tissues. These agents are disposed of by the liver and spleen as particulate matter.
NC100150 Injection (Nycomed Amersham, Amersham Health ) consists of USPIO particles that are composed of single crystals (4- to 7-nm diameter) and stabilized with a carbohydrate polyethylene glycol (PEG) coat. The iron oxide particles have to be suspended in an isotonic glucose solution. The final diameter of an USPIO particle is approximately 20 nm. Blood pool half-life is more than two hours in humans; the particles are taken up by the mononuclear phagocyte system and distributed mainly to the liver and spleen.
NC100150 would compete with the contrast agents Ferumoxytol from AMAG Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Vasovistâ„¢ from EPIX Pharmaceuticals, Inc., but at this time the development of NC100150 Injection/Clariscan™ is discontinued.

History of Nycomed Amersham Imaging:
2001 The transfer of the imaging products onto those ones new set up Amersham Health AG.
2000 The sale of the diagnostic fields at Axis-Shield. The NycoCard marketed products through Nycomed AG in the Switzerland still.
1999 The solution of the fusion and incorporation of imaging as an own department.
1998 The fusion with Amersham, change of the name in Nycomed Amersham AG.
1996 The Name Hafslund is omitted, the company occurs only under the name Nycomed.
1990 The company Hafslund Nycomed is starting with imaging products.

'CMC Contrast AB (Copenhagen Malmø Contrast AB) was established in April 2000. CMC Contrast AB was founded by professor Henrik Thomsen and the two main owners Malmøhus Invest AB and Öresund - Healthcare Capital KS.'
'The purpose of CMC Contrast AB is to develop the product CMC 001 to a registered medicinal product with market authorisation in the international pharmaceutical markets. CMC Contrast AB holds all the rights to CMC 001, and the company aims to develop CMC 001 to a registered medicinal product on a worldwide basis.'

(Mn-DPDP) This agent, mangafodipir trisodium, is a hepatocyte specific MRI contrast agent. Manganese is very toxic, so it has to be chelated and put in the form of a vitamin B6 analog, which is taken up by normal hepatocytes to some extent.
Teslascan® was developed in the early 1980's, went through clinical trials in the early 1990's, and was approved in 1997. One problem with assessing the efficacy of this agent is the fact that the phase III trials finished in the early 1990's, and the techniques used for MR today are very different from the techniques used almost a decade ago.
This contrast agent shortens the T1 relaxation time. On T1 weighted pictures it makes a normal liver look brighter. Since metastases, for example, do not generally take up this agent, the contrast between the enhancing liver and the non-enhancing lesions will increase on T1 weighted pictures. It does not have much effect on T2 weighted images.

Short name: Mn-DPDP
This MRI contrast agent is a chelate complex of the paramagnetic metal ion manganese (Mn) and fodipir. Mn-DPDP (Teslascan) shortens the longitudinal relaxation time and is used for the T1 weighted enhancement of MR images. Mangafodipir trisodium accumulates after intravenous injection in the healthy tissue of the liver and improves the detection, localization, characterization, and evaluation of lesions of the liver, pancreas, but can also be used in cardiac MRI.
See also Hepatobiliary Chelates and Teslascan®.
The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted marketing clearance 1997, to Nycomed Amersham's MRI contrast medium. Nycomed/Amersham, now GE Healthcare markets the product under the trade name Teslascan®.