Insight Agents Launches Generic Contrast Media And Attractive Business Model In Europe

Main Category: Radiology / Nuclear Medicine
Also Included In: MRI / PET / Ultrasound
Article Date: 26 Nov 2007 - 3:00 PDT

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Insight Agents GmbH has announced the European launch of two new generic contrast media solutions for injection. MAGNEGITA® 500 Micromol/ml (Gadopentetate Dimeglumine) is about to be introduced for MRI in 22 European countries* and IOPAMIGITA® 300 mg Iod/ml (Iopamidol) will be available for X-ray/CT in Germany. Insight Agents plans to launch the products in other countries excluding the U.S. as soon as a product authorisation for the respective countries is granted. The company is also looking for (i) distributors worldwide and (ii) international members to join its medical advisory board.

At the same time, Insight Agents presents an attractive business model, which includes a broad range of services to radiologists. These include top purchase conditions from one of Europe's largest group purchasing organisations in radiology. Instead of an expensive sales force, Insight Agents provides value added consulting services (see http://www.radiology-management.com) for hospital and private radiologists. Additionally, radiologists are offered a highly profitable and legally proven investment in a fast growing international venture with a promising development pipeline in an industry that will become fully generic in the next 5 years.

MAGNEGITA® and IOPAMIGITA® are produced in Europe, providing well-established active substances at an attractive price. "Our one-stop product range with surprisingly wide indication lists has a significant substitution potential in MRI and CT. As of today, our pro-active ingredients contribute to considerable cost savings in the health care sector", Dr. Johannes Schmidt-Tophoff, CEO of Insight Agents, says. "In addition, Insight Agents offers shares to radiologists and is committed to working hard for a potential benefit to radiology budgets and lobbying."

MAGNEGITA® and IOPAMIGITA® are neither available, nor offered for sale, nor available for use in the U.S. They are also not approved for use in the U.S. by the U.S.F.D.A. Insight Agents is not seeking distributors in or for the U.S. market.

About the products

MAGNEGITA® 500 Micromol/ml is the first European-wide authorized generic Gadopentetate Dimeglumine. With one of the widest indication lists among Gadolinium-based contrast agents, MAGNEGITA® can be used for the majority of contrast-enhanced MRI procedures in both adults and pediatric patients, including newborns. In addition to its indications in contrast-enhanced imaging of the whole body, the CNS and angiography (excluding coronary arteries), MAGNEGITA® is also indicated for imaging of the heart to measure myocardial perfusion under pharmacological stress conditions and for viability diagnostics (using delayed enhancement). Comprehensive presentation forms of MAGNEGITA® include glass vials of 5, 10, 15, 20, 30 and 100 mL. Prefilled syringes are pending approval and are expected to be available in 2008.

IOPAMIGITA® 300 mg Iod/ml (Iopamidol): Indications of this non-ionic contrast medium for X-ray and CT examinations are arteriography, angiography throughout the cardiovascular system, peripheral venography (phlebography), digital subtraction angiography, urography and intravenous adult and pediatric contrast enhancement of CT head and body imaging. IOPAMIGITA® is supplied in infusion bottles with a fill of 50, 75, 100 or 200 mL.

About Insight Agents

Insight Agents GmbH is a subsidiary of Curagita AG and develops, produces and distributes contrast media. It has branch offices in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France and Belgium as well as distributors in many countries. Insight Agents also holds the German authorisations for all other strengths of Iopamidol and for Iohexol and plans to expand its portfolio to include a full and internationally available product range of generic contrast agents.

About Curagita

Founded in 1999, Curagita AG is the leading independent radiology services company in Germany, managing a cooperative radiology group of 200 radiologists. The objectives of the cooperative are to save costs, to implement quality combines and to use marketing and contracting synergies as a powerful group generating value added for referring doctors, patients and insurances. By group purchasing of contrast agents, consumables and equipment/IT incl. maintenance contracts, the costs of participating radiologists as well as of health insurances are significantly reduced. Other common projects include mammography screening, PET-CT, prevention programs, information portal http://www.radiologie.de, indication guidelines for referrals, teleradiology, ISO-quality management, consulting incl. external management, benchmarking of departments and centers, transactions and restructuring for hospital departments and imaging centers. In 2006, Curagita was awarded "Service Company of the Year" and "Top-10-Grow-up-Company".

* Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France (under review, expected 2008), Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom and Switzerland (under review, expected 2007).

http://www.radiologie.de