BUCKINGHAMSHIRE, U.K., Mar. 4, 2003 (PRIMEZONE) -- Amersham Health, global leader in medical diagnostics, a major provider of radiotherapy products and a business of Amersham (LSE:AHM) (NYSE:AHM), today announces that its radiopharmaceutical imaging agent MYOVIEW(TM) has received FDA approval for the assessment of Left Ventricular Function (left ventricular ejection fraction and wall motion) in patients being evaluated for heart disease.
MYOVIEW(TM), the company's second largest selling product, is already well established in diagnostic cardiology, where it is used to diagnose heart disease by visualising blood flow to the heart muscle. The addition of this indication allows physicians to get three important data points from one test. Perfusion, wall motion and ejection fraction all contribute to the overall functional assessment of a patient's heart. The approval of the Left Ventricular Function (LVF) indication marks yet another major step in Amersham Health's overall commitment to expanding the clinical versatility of this valuable product used for the diagnosis of heart disease.
"This new indication adds even more value to the clinical usefulness of MYOVIEW(TM) which, with LVF, can now provide critical functional information to the well accepted perfusion assessment to better diagnose a patient's cardiac health," said Daniel L. Peters, President of Amersham Health's medical diagnostics business world-wide. "MYOVIEW(TM) continues to gain broad market acceptance throughout the world and we remain committed to the continued expansion of its clinical utility and more importantly, to meet the needs of the physician to more effectively manage their patients with heart disease. MYOVIEW(TM) is a key component of our outstanding cardiology portfolio and we look forward to continued development of additional MYOVIEW(TM) indications on a global basis."
In 2001 Amersham Health received U.S. approval for the expanded use of MYOVIEW(TM) in patients with known or suspected coronary artery disease with pharmacologic stress agents, who are unable to take physical exercise. Last year MYOVIEW(TM) became an important new weapon in the fight against breast cancer following its approval for breast tumour imaging in Europe.
MYOVIEW(TM), introduced in the U.S. in 1996, is widely used throughout the U.S., capturing approximately 40% of the technetium cardiac market and over 30% of the global myocardial perfusion market.
In studying patients with known or suspected coronary artery disease, care should be taken to ensure continuous cardiac monitoring and the availability of emergency cardiac treatment. As with all injectable drug products, allergic reactions and anaphylaxis may occur.
Editors Notes
About Amersham Health Amersham Health, a business of Amersham, is the leading global pharmaceutical provider of diagnostic and predictive imaging products and services. Amersham Health is dedicated to providing healthcare professionals with products that expand and improve their diagnostic capabilities and contribute to the treatment of disease. Amersham Health is committed to finding innovative diagnostic and therapeutic solutions with a focus on cardiology, neurology and cancer. Every single second one of Amersham Health's products is used around the world to make a difference in a person's life.
About Amersham Amersham is a world leader in medical diagnostics and in life sciences. Headquartered in the UK, the company had annual sales of 1.62 billion pounds in 2002 and around 10,200 employees worldwide. Its strategy is to build its position as a leading provider of products and technologies enabling disease to be better understood, diagnosed earlier and treated more effectively.
For additional information and full prescribing information, visit the Amersham Health Web site at www.amershamhealth.com or the Amersham corporate Web site at www.amersham.com