January 20, 2010 – A new contrast-imaging agent for use with magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) is being launched this week in the United States. ABLAVAR (gadofosveset trisodium) is the first MRA injectable imaging agent used to evaluate aortoiliac occlusive disease (AIOD) in adults with known or suspected peripheral vascular disease (PVD).
In phase 3 clinical studies, ABLAVAR demonstrated statistically greater sensitivity (detecting disease when present) compared with non-contrast MRA. These studies, which supported the FDA approval of ABLAVAR in 2009, show that MRA images using ABLAVAR provided diagnostic accuracy comparable to conventional X-ray angiography,.
The advantages over X-ray angiography include a low dose injection, it does not require catheter insertion into a patient’s arteries, and does not expose patients to ionizing radiation.
“ABLAVAR may provide clinicians performing vascular imaging with more comprehensive, three-dimensional diagnostic information to improve patient treatment decisions and care,” said E. Kent Yucel, M.D., FACR, chairman of radiology, Tufts Medical Center. “ABLAVAR, as the first FDA-approved contrast agent for an MRA indication, is a welcome addition to the currently available options for diagnosing AIOD in patients with known or suspected peripheral vascular disease.”
For more information: www.ablavar.com, www.lantheus.com
August 17, 2023 
