OTTAWA, Feb. 16 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ - MDS Nordion, a world leader in nuclear medicine, and Molecular Insight Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (MIP) have signed a six-year renewable contract to manufacture and supply Zemiva(TM), a molecular imaging pharmaceutical being developed for cardiac ischemia, or insufficient blood flow to the heart. Zemiva(TM), currently in clinical trials, is targeted for the emergency department setting.
“MDS Nordion is recognized by pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies worldwide for a suite of unique drug development services, which span from the discovery of new radiopharmaceuticals to the manufacture and reliable commercial supply of products used in the patient care setting,” said Steve West, President of MDS Nordion. “This contract will enable MDS Nordion to build upon our strong development partnership with Molecular Insight Pharmaceuticals through the use of our significant development and manufacturing capabilities to meet the commercial market needs of Zemiva(TM).”
Zemiva(TM) is currently manufactured at MDS Nordion’s facility in Vancouver, Canada. As a result of the contract, MDS Nordion will expand its Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) manufacturing capabilities at this facility to support the clinical program and commercial supply of Zemiva(TM).
Zemiva(TM)'s first indication is expected to be for the rapid diagnosis of cardiac ischemia in a hospital’s emergency department. Data suggests that Zemiva(TM) administered to patients at rest can detect ischemia through imaging patients up to 30 hours after a cardiac event has occurred - potentially enabling the widespread use of imaging in the emergency department for more rapid diagnosis. Zemiva(TM) allows for the imaging of patients in acute care settings and has the potential to significantly reduce the time to treatment, thereby limiting damage to the heart tissue and eliminating unnecessary hospitalizations. It is estimated that five to eight million patients in the United States annually require determination of whether their chest pain is caused by insufficient blood flow to the heart or heart attack.
MDS Nordion has 60 years of experience in offering consistent product quality, flexible product options, responsive customer service and strong technical and scientific expertise to its customers. MDS Nordion’s GMP-compliant facilities located in Ottawa and Vancouver, Canada, and Fleurus, Belgium, accommodate a variety of development, manufacturing and supply requirements.
About MDS Nordion
MDS Nordion (www.mds.nordion.com) is a world leader in radioisotopes, radiation and related technologies. MDS Nordion is part of MDS Inc. . MDS Inc. has more than 8,800 highly skilled people in 28 countries. We provide a diverse range of superior products and services to increase our customers’ speed, precision and productivity in the drug development and disease diagnosis processes. We are a global, values-driven health and life sciences company, recognized for our reliability and collaborative relationships as we help create better outcomes in the treatment of disease. Find out more at www.mdsintl.com or by calling 1-888-MDS-7222, 24 hours a day.
MDS Nordion
CONTACT: Shelley Maclean, External Communications, MDS Nordion, Tel: (613)592-3400 ext. 2414, E-mail: shelley.maclean@mdsinc.com
