Short name: Gd-HP-DO3A, generic name: Gadoteridol injection, chemical compound: Gd-1,4,7-tris(carbonylmethyl)-10-(2'-hydroxypropyl)-1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane
(ProHance®) A nonionic MRI contrast agent with a low molecular weight complex of gadolinium (macrocyclic chelate, which tightly binds the Gd atom).
Gadoteridol does not cross the blood brain barrier. If the barrier is damaged, gadoteridol will penetrate into lesions such as tumors. It also highlights areas of increased vascularity so it has been used to improve the delimitation of lesions elsewhere in the body.
Apart from its paramagnetic effects, gadoteridol has no pharmacological activity in the body. After intravenous injection, most of the dose is excreted unchanged in the urine within 24 hours.

See also Contrast Agents and ProHance®.

ProHance® consists of a nonionic gadolinium complex (Gadoteridol) used as a paramagnetic MR contrast agent.
ProHance® provides contrast enhancement of the brain, spine and surrounding tissues resulting in improved visualization (compared with unenhanced MRI) of lesions with abnormal vascularity or those thought to cause a disruption of the normal blood brain barrier. ProHance® can also be used for whole body contrast enhanced MRI including the head, neck, liver, breast, musculoskeletal system and soft tissue pathologies.

WARNING: NEPHROGENIC SYSTEMIC FIBROSIS Gadolinium-based contrast agents increase the risk for nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF) in patients with acute or chronic severe renal insufficiency (glomerular filtration rate less than 30 mL/min/1.73m²), or acute renal insufficiency of any severity due to the hepato-renal syndrome or in the perioperative liver transplantation period.

See Gadoteridol.

The company is a member of the Bracco Group, a highly innovative healthcare group and world leader in global integrated solutions for the diagnostic medical imaging field. The Bracco Group is headquartered in Milan, Italy. Its North American operations consist of Bracco Diagnostics and Bracco Research USA, both located in Princeton, New Jersey. Bracco Diagnostics is one of the fastest growing developers and marketers of diagnostic pharmaceuticals in North America, with products for various imaging applications, including Isovue® (iopamidol - X-ray contrast agent), ProHance® (gadoteridol - MRI contrast agent), SonoVue® (ultrasound contrast agent) and nuclear medicine products.
Gadoteridol has been available in Europe and the USA for several years. Holder of the Marketing Authorization: Bracco International B.V. - Strawinskylaan 3051 - 1077 ZX Amsterdam The Netherlands. (Contact: Kirk Deeter, Phone: +NL-303-838-8708)

MRI Contrast Agents:

Contrast agents are chemical substances introduced to the anatomical or functional region being imaged, to increase the differences between different tissues or between normal and abnormal tissue, by altering the relaxation times. MRI contrast agents are classified by the different changes in relaxation times after their injection.
The design objectives for the next generation of MR contrast agents will likely focus on prolonging intravascular retention, improving tissue targeting, and accessing new contrast mechanisms. Macromolecular paramagnetic contrast agents are being tested worldwide. Preclinical data shows that these agents demonstrate great promise for improving the quality of MR angiography, and in quantificating capillary permeability and myocardial perfusion.
Ultrasmall superparamagnetic iron oxide (USPIO) particles have been evaluated in multicenter clinical trials for lymph node MR imaging and MR angiography, with the clinical impact under discussion. In addition, a wide variety of vector and carrier molecules, including antibodies, peptides, proteins, polysaccharides, liposomes, and cells have been developed to deliver magnetic labels to specific sites. Technical advances in MR imaging will further increase the efficacy and necessity of tissue-specific MRI contrast agents.

See also Adverse Reaction and Nephrogenic Systemic Fibrosis.

See also the related poll result: 'The development of contrast agents in MRI is'

Radiographic low-osmolar nonionic contrast agents have less side effects and fewer nephrotoxicity than ionic, high-osmolar agents. Gadolinium-based MRI contrast agents have a different formulation from iodinated X-ray contrast media, and there is no known cross sensitivity between these two types of contrast agents. Intravenous MRI contrast agents, specifically the gadolinium chelates have a high safety and lack of nephrotoxicity compared with X-ray contrast media.
The used gadolinium chelates differ in following properties: linear (e.g., gadodiamide and gadoversetamide have nonionic linear structures) vs. macrocyclic cores, and ionic vs. nonionic types. The nonionic molecules have lower osmolality and viscosity, which increase digestibility at greater concentrations, and make faster bolus injections conceivable. The macrocyclic molecules (e.g., gadoteridol has a nonionic macrocyclic ring structure) are more stable and show fewer tendencies to dissociate free Gd.

See also ProHance®, Omniscan®, OptiMARK®, Ionic Intravenous Contrast Agents.

See also the related poll result: 'MRI will have replaced 50% of x-ray exams by'