Imagify™ (Perflubutane Polymer Microspheres) for Injectable Suspension: a synthetic polymer microsphere specifically designed to assess myocardial perfusion for the detection of coronary artery disease.
Approximately 16.0 million people in the United States suffer from coronary artery disease (CAD), and it is the leading cause of death in the United States. [American Heart Association, Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics, 2007]. CAD is characterized by the accumulation of plaque and can reduce blood flow in the heart muscle often leading to recurrent chest pain, heart attack, or death. Early identification and intervention are crucial.
A key indicator of the presence of CAD is blood flow (perfusion) deficits in the heart muscle (myocardium). The current standard for detecting perfusion deficits is through conducting a Nuclear SPECT Stress Test (Nuclear Stress Test) which is expensive, time consuming and exposes patients and providers to radiation.
We are developing Imagify™ to address a clinical need for an effective and rapid non-invasive means to identify the presence of CAD before a patient has an event without the use of radiation.
Imagify is an ultrasound imaging agent comprised of perflubutane gas in a synthetic biodegradable microsphere whose primary components are already used in other approved pharmacologic products such as surgical sutures. Imagify is administered intravenously and is intended to allow visualization of perfusion deficits in the myocardium in addition to movement of the muscular walls of the heart.
Potential benefits of cardiac ultrasound enhanced with a perfusion imaging agent include the following:
Clinical Information
- Cardiac stress ultrasound with a perfusion imaging agent has the potential to provide information on both myocardial perfusion and real-time wall motion simultaneously.
- Cardiac stress ultrasound has the potential to provide real-time information without requiring post-processing and analysis.
No Radioactivity
- Ultrasound contrast agents usually do not require special licensing for storage and handling, have a long shelf life, and are convenient to use and store.
- Nuclear stress tests use radioactive materials that create additional costs due to preparation, storage and disposal requirements.
Less Time
- Nuclear stress tests typically take five hours, while ultrasound procedures typically take less than one hour.
Lower Expense
- The cost of performing an ultrasound imaging procedure using ultrasound with a perfusion contrast agent is expected to be significantly less than for a nuclear stress test.