An iron-based contrast agent with large molecular size, which prevents diffusion into body tissues and will be developed for MR imaging of the liver (taken up by macrophages), tumor microvasculature and microvessel permeability. The blood half live of the particles with 11-20 nm diameter is 3-4 hours.
At this time the development of Clariscan™ is discontinued.

See also NC100150 Injection and Ultrasmall Superparamagnetic Iron Oxide.

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:

Short name: NC100150, PEG-feron, generic name: Feruglose, preliminary trade name: Clariscan™
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 Vasovist™ from EPIX Pharmaceuticals, Inc., but at this time the development of NC100150 Injection/Clariscan™ is discontinued.