Omniscan® is a nonionic chelate complex with low osmolality used as a paramagnetic MRI contrast agent. The efficacy of Omniscan® is similar to that of Gd-DTPA. Omniscan® is given intravenously to enhance images of intracranial and spinal lesions where there is abnormal vascularity or an abnormal blood brain barrier. The complex does not cross an intact blood brain barrier so Omniscan® only accumulates in lesions such as neoplasm's and abscesses.

WARNING: NEPHROGENIC SYSTEMIC FIBROSIS Gadolinium-based contrast agents increase the risk for nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF) in patients with acute or chronic severe renal insufficiency (glomerular filtration rate less than 30 mL/min/1.73m²), or acute renal insufficiency of any severity due to the hepato-renal syndrome or in the perioperative liver transplantation period.

See also Gadodiamide, and Classifications, Characteristics, etc.

Developer of Omniscan (Gd DTPA-BMA) one of the Gd-based contrast agents currently on the market.
In the course of different cooperations to develop new agents, Winthrop Laboratories worked together with the companies Sanofi and Sterling. Omniscan is now distributed by GE Healthcare.

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GE Medical Systems and Amersham announced in April 2004 the completion of a share exchange acquisition of Amersham Health by GE. The result of this acquisition is the new GE Healthcare, based in the UK, totally owned by General Electric (GE).

Amersham Health, was the imaging diagnostics and therapy business of Amersham plc.

The rapid improvements in instrumentation, which have added benefit to the use of extracellular fluid agents such as Omniscan™, have also diminished the market potential for blood pool products such as Clariscan™. As a consequence, Amersham decided to discontinue the development of Clariscan™.

The contrast agents are either renal or hepatically excreted media, which stay in the intravascular/extracellular tissue compartment. The enhancement in the blood continues for as long as the contrast agent remains in the blood stream.
E.g. Dotarem®, Magnevist®, Omniscan®, ProHance®.

See Contrast Medium, Contrast Agents and Blood Pool Agents.

GE Healthcare is the result of the merger between GE Medical and Amersham Health in Nov. 2004, after GE acquired Amersham Health for 9.5 billion in Oct. 2003. Jeffrey R. Immelt, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive of General Electric, said, 'Amersham's diagnostic pharmaceutical and life sciences business will add new, high growth platforms to GE Medical's diagnostic imaging, services and healthcare information technology businesses'. GE Healthcare, a UK company, is a unit of General Electric (NYSE: GE). GE Healthcare is a global leader in medical imaging, diagnostic imaging contrast agents, interventional procedures, healthcare services, and information technology. For more than 100 years, health care providers have relied on GE Medical Systems, now GE Healthcare, for high quality medical technology and productivity solutions. GE Healthcare, headquartered now at formerly seat of Amersham Health in Great Britain, operates facilities around the world. Global Operations include organizations on the Americas, Europe, and Asia, including India, Japan, Korea China, Thailand and Vietnam.

MRI Scanners:

0.2T to 1.0T:
to 1.5T:
to 3.0T:

MRI Contrast Agents: