Advanced Manufacturing Process for High Performance MRI Contrast Agents

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging is widely used for non-invasive diagnosis of a variety of diseases. However due to the intrinsic properties of existing gadolinium-chelate contrast agents, there exist clinical needs of improved MRI contrast agents that render extended circulatory half-life enabling blood pool imaging with favorable biodistribution and enabling tissue-specific imaging; reduce Gd associated long term safety concerns; have greater relaxivity andgenerate positive contrast enhancement. Luna is developing metallofullerene-based T1 agents for both blood pool imaging and targeted imaging of cancer and atherosclerotic plaque. We have conducted extensive animal studies demonstrating substantially improved imaging sensitivity at lower does, and no acute toxicity was found. It is a very promising new T1 contrast agent platform technology. However, to be cost competitive and capable of producing clinically relevant quantities, it is necessary to improve th