Lantheus announces Canadian launch of ABLAVAR injection

Lantheus Medical Imaging, Inc., a worldwide leader in diagnostic medical imaging, today announced the Canadian launch of ABLAVAR^® (gadofosveset trisodium injection), a unique, injectable magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) blood pool imaging agent. This launch is part of Lantheus' corporate growth strategy to expand the company's presence and product offerings in key international markets and to increase access to medically important diagnostic imaging agents. In Canada, ABLAVAR^® was previously marketed as Vasovist^® and is indicated for contrast-enhanced MRA for visualization of abdominal or limb vessels in patients with suspected or known vascular disease. Lantheus launched ABLAVAR^® in the United States earlier this year where it is indicated for the evaluation of aortoiliac occlusive disease in adults with known or suspected peripheral vascular disease. The company recently announced the acquisition of the worldwide rights for this novel product.

“We are pleased that the introduction of ABLAVAR® in Canada can provide patients and physicians in this important geographic region with a unique MRA imaging agent to diagnose and evaluate vascular disease”

"ABLAVAR^® is a welcome addition to the tools we currently have available in Canada for the evaluation of vascular disease, as it is specifically designed for use with MRA and allows for both first-pass imaging as well as steady-state imaging, which can provide additional information of the vasculature," said Josephine Pressacco, M.D., Ph.D., Montreal Heart Institute. "The albumin-binding properties of this product allow us to obtain bright, high resolution images with a single low dose, which may reduce the need for additional or repeat testing for patients."

"We are pleased that the introduction of ABLAVAR^® in Canada can provide patients and physicians in this important geographic region with a unique MRA imaging agent to diagnose and evaluate vascular disease," said Cyrille Villeneuve, Vice President and General Manager, International, Lantheus Medical Imaging, Inc. "Launching ABLAVAR^® in Canada is part of our ongoing strategy to provide increased access to innovative medical diagnostic imaging tools and to expand the presence of Lantheus globally."

Blood pool agents remain in the vasculature for an extended period of time, increasing the brightness of blood in a magnetic resonance diagnostic procedure, resulting in high-resolution images. The albumin-binding properties of ABLAVAR^® make it uniquely designed for vascular imaging because it provides an expanded imaging window, making it possible to evaluate not only the location of disease but the extent and severity of disease.