February 7, 2017 — GE Healthcare’s Life Sciences business announced in January that it acquired Rapidscan Pharma Solutions Inc., which has the exclusive rights to produce and sell the pharmacological stress agent Rapiscan (regadenoson) in territories outside the U.S., Canada and Mexico. GE Healthcare will help bring improved access to Rapiscan, offering an alternative screening method for patients who are unable to undergo traditional cardiac stress imaging procedures.
Rapiscan is a European Medicines Agency (EMA)-approved selective coronary vasodilator, used as a pharmacological stress agent for radionuclide myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) in adult patients. It is used in the diagnosis of coronary artery disease (CAD), the most common type of cardiovascular disease, accounting for over 680,000 deaths in Europe alone[1] .
While MPIs are most commonly performed after a patient has exercised, some patients at risk of CAD cannot exercise due to various conditions such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Rapiscan reduces the risks[2] of MPI tests for these patients by stimulating a patient’s heart to bring on the effects of exercise.
GE Healthcare already distributes Rapiscan in the U.K. and Germany and will maintain existing supplier and distributor networks created by Rapidscan Pharma Solutions to expand its global reach. Its commercial rights will complement Astellas’ commercial distribution of regadenoson in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.
For more information: www.gehealthcare.com
References
[1] European Society of Cardiology. European Cardiovascular Disease Statistics, 2012. https://www.escardio.org/static_file/Escardio/Press-media/press-releases/2013/EU-cardiovascular-disease-statistics-2012.pdf
[2] Cerqueira MD et al, on behalf of the ADVANCE MPI Trial Investigators. Effects of age, gender, obesity and diabetes on the efficacy and safety of the selective A2A agonist Rapiscan versus adenosine: integrated ADVANCE MPI trial results. J Am Coll Cardiol 2008; 1: 307-316.
[3] Rapidscan.Rapiscan: Information Memorandum. 2016; 4
