How will new radiotracers influence SPECT utilization?
Berman: A promising fluorine-18 labeled PET agent, being developed by Lantheus Medical Imaging, showed good Phase I results and should have a much higher resolution than rubidium-82. In addition, it has a two-hour half-life, which means it could be used with exercise. Heller: There are two SPECT agents that have reached Phase III trials. One is MIBG, which shows promise in predicting whether patients with heart failure are at low or high risk for cardiac events, particularly arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death. The second product, BMIPP, is an iodinated compound with an “ischemic memory” that potentially could be used in the emergency department for people who present 12 to 24 hours after resolution of chest pain.
