KNOXVILLE, Tenn., Dec. 1 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- CTI Molecular Imaging, Inc. , a leading provider of positron emission tomography (PET) equipment, molecular probes and services, today congratulated David Townsend, Ph.D., for his achievement of being named Distinguished Clinical Scientist of the Year for 2004 by the Academy of Molecular Imaging (AMI). Dr. Townsend is presently Professor of Medicine and Radiology and Director of the Cancer Imaging and Tracer Development Program at the University of Tennessee Graduate School of Medicine.
The AMI honors a physician or scientist annually for major contributions to the development and enhancement of PET and molecular imaging as recognized by his/her colleagues. This year, Dr. Townsend was recognized for his contribution to molecular imaging in his role as the co-inventor of the PET/CT scanner. As part of his award, Dr. Townsend will receive a cash award and will be the Distinguished Scientist lecturer at the annual AMI meeting in March 2004.
Dr. Townsend conceived and developed the PET/CT with Ronald Nutt, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of CTI, with the support of Dr. Nutt’s engineering team at CPS Innovations, a unit of CTI. In just five years since its invention, the PET/CT scanner has become a critical tool in the early detection, staging and treatment of cancer and other diseases and now accounts for more than 50% of all PET scanners sold worldwide. Dr. Nutt himself was named the Distinguished Scientist of the Year by the AMI in 2001 for his lifelong contributions to PET technology development.
“On behalf of all of us at CTI, I want to congratulate David for this fine honor that he has received,” said Dr. Nutt. “The Distinguished Clinical Scientist of the Year award is the most prestigious one that an AMI member can receive from his peers. Having worked closely with David for many years as a scientist and friend, I can say that he is extremely deserving of this honor. Over his career, David has been an invaluable contributor to the molecular imaging community and to CTI, and I am delighted to see him recognized with this award.”
The Academy of Molecular Imaging is a progressive organization that builds the school of thought, scientific paradigms and clinical practices of molecular imaging to advance the growing field of molecular medicine.
About CTI:
CTI Molecular Imaging, Inc. is a leading supplier of products and services for positron emission tomography (PET), a diagnostic imaging technology used in the detection and treatment of cancer, neurological disorders and cardiac disease. Additional information is available at: http://www.ctimi.com/.
About PET and PET/CT:
PET images the biology of diseases at the molecular level, often before anatomic changes are visible or, in some cases, before symptoms appear. Diseases are biological processes and it is these processes that PET examines. PET/CT is a new imaging technology that combines the biological examination of patients by PET with the CT images of the body’s structural detail. PET/CT technology improves the diagnostic accuracy and treatment management of patients by providing surgeons, radiation oncologists and other physicians precise anatomical landmarks associated with the disease condition as determined by PET.
PET’s whole-body imaging capability helps physicians improve their ability to detect and determine the location, extent and stage of cancer, neurological disorders and cardiac disease. By improving diagnosis, PET scans aid physicians in selecting better courses of treatment, as well as assessing whether treatment is effective or should be changed. Recent published clinical trials have shown that in a wide array of cancers, the use of PET has caused the treatment to be changed for 15 to 50% of patients, depending on the specific clinical question. In addition, PET and PET/CT provide both the patient and their physician with a degree of certainty that is often unavailable through other imaging methods.
“Safe Harbor” Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: Statements in this press release regarding the business of CTI Molecular Imaging, Inc. (“CTI”) that are not historical facts are “forward- looking statements” that involve risks and uncertainties. Further information regarding such risks and uncertainties and other factors that could adversely affect CTI or cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated in forward-looking statements are included in CTI’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2002, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, and in other reports CTI files with the SEC. CTI undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements.
CTI Molecular Imaging, Inc.
CONTACT: Michael A. Lawless of CTI Molecular Imaging, Inc.,+1-865-218-2000
Web site: http://www.ctimi.com/