FluoroPharma is developing breakthrough molecular imaging agents for use with positron emission tomography (PET) designed to fulfill critical unmet medical needs. These new agents give clinicians crucial tools for the detection and assessment of pathology before clinical manifestation of diseases. Without the proper imaging agents, even the most advanced PET technology is essentially blind. However, the proper agents, formulated to integrate with and thus reveal subtle biological processes associated with a specific disease, can provide an unmatched window to the inner workings of the human body. The primary disease areas targeted by FluoroPharma are cardiovascular disease (CAD) and Alzheimer’s disease, two of the biggest global medical markets around.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately a quarter of all deaths that occur in the U.S. are directly linked to cardiovascular disease, taking some 600,000 people each year. It’s the leading cause of death for both men and women. In addition, coronary heart disease costs the U.S. over $100 billion annually. And yet it is reported that only 27% of people polled were aware of all the major symptoms of a heart attack and knew to call 911. It’s not surprising that almost half of sudden cardiac deaths occur outside the hospital.
That’s why FluoroPharma’s tracer agents are so important and could make such a big difference. Specifically, the company has developed three different products for detecting conditions that can lead to heart attack, conditions that may not present any symptoms. BFPET is designed to reveal cardiovascular blood flow in combination with stress testing. CardioPET is designed to detect regions of fatty acid uptake for the diagnosis of CAD in patients unable to undergo stress testing. And VasoPET detects inflamed plaques, which are the plaques most likely to rupture and cause a heart attack or sudden death.
FluoroPharma is also developing AZPET, designed to help image amyloid deposits, valuable in the early detection of Alzheimer’s disease and for researchers. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, more than 5 million Americans are already living with the disease, a number that is expected to grow dramatically as the population ages. Alzheimer’s costs the nation over $200 billion, a number that could grow to $1.2 trillion by 2050 if something isn’t done.
For more information, visit www.FluoroPharma.com
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