BOSTON, Jan. 26 /PRNewswire/ -- FluoroPharma Inc., a company developing breakthrough molecular imaging agents for the Positron Emission Tomography (PET) market, announced today that the United States Patent and Trademark Office issued U.S. Patent No. 7,438,891, covering methods of imaging cardiovascular plaque formation using F18 labeled 2-fluorodeoxy-D-glucose (FDG). This patent, exclusively licensed from the Massachusetts General Hospital, provides FluoroPharma with additional patent claims that cover imaging of atherosclerotic plaque inflammation and rupture.
“The use of 18F-FDG PET for imaging atherosclerosis, for tracking inflammation within plaque and for monitoring the response to drug therapy is promising and should be part of future diagnostic armament,” said Dr. David Elmaleh, FluoroPharma founder and Chief Scientific Advisor.
“Molecular imaging of the inflammatory status of vulnerable atherosclerotic lesions is of paramount importance for the identification of patients at risk for a future heart attack or stroke,” said Dr. Tom Brady, Director of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging Division at the MGH, “In vivo noninvasive clinical studies to measure carotid plaque inflammation show that 18F -FDG PET imaging can identify a subset of patients with carotid atherosclerosis that may benefit from intensified medical therapy or carotid artery intervention to prevent stroke.”
“This newly issued patent adds to FluoroPharma’s already impressive patent position covering agents for imaging atherosclerotic plaque using PET,” said Dr. Kundakovic, President of FluoroPharma, “Our broad technology platform continues to provide FluoroPharma with the ability to develop effective cardiovascular imaging agents for PET market.”
About FluoroPharma
FluoroPharma is a molecular imaging company engaged in the discovery and development of proprietary products for the PET market. FluoroPharma is advancing proprietary products for assessment of acute and chronic forms of coronary disease. These agents have been designed to rapidly target either the myocardial cells within the heart or inflamed plaques within the coronary arteries. www.fluoropharma.com
This release may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Such forward-looking statements reflect, among other things, management’s current expectations, plans and strategies, and anticipated financial results, all of which are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and factors that may cause our actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Many of these risks are beyond our ability to control or predict including the company’s need for additional funds, the company’s dependence on a limited number of imaging compounds, the early state of the products the company is developing, uncertainties relating to clinical trials and regulatory reviews, competition and dependence on collaborative partners, the company’s ability to avoid infringement of the patent rights of others, and the company’s ability to obtain adequate patent protection and to enforce these rights. Because of these risks, uncertainties and assumptions, you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Furthermore, forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. FluoroPharma does not undertake any obligation to update or review any such forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
CONTACT: Ljiljana Kundakovic of FluoroPharma Inc., +1-617-482-2333, x16,
lkundakovic@fluoropharma.com
Web site: http://www.fluoropharma.com/
