New GE-Backed Heart Disease Study May Advance Detection To Never Before Seen Levels

GE Healthcare and Lantheus Holdings Inc LNTH announced that the recent Phase 3 trial of a radiotracer, [18F]flurpiridaz, has met its co-primary endpoints of exceeding a 60% threshold for both sensitivity and specificity for detecting Coronary Artery Disease (CAD).
The findings also demonstrate [18F]flurpiridaz Positron Emission Tomography (PET) has higher diagnostic efficacy and image quality in patients with suspected CAD compared with Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) Myocardial Perfusion Imaging (MPI), the predominant procedure used in nuclear cardiology.
SPECT MPI represents approximately 6 million procedures per year in the U.S.
With a half-life roughly 12 times longer than currently approved cardiac PET radiotracers, if approved, [18F]flurpiridaz has the potential to expand patient access to PET MPI.
This radiotracer is part of GE Healthcare's pipeline of Molecular Imaging diagnostics aiming to increase diagnostic accuracy and improve patient outcomes across key care areas.
The Phase 3 study involved over 600 patients.
GE Healthcare's Pharmaceutical Diagnostics unit is a global leader in imaging agents used to support around 100 million procedures per year globally, equivalent to three patients every second.
Price Action: LNTH shares are down 0.83% at $85.52 on the last check Tuesday.