GE HealthCare is expanding the reach of its cardiac PET radiotracer Flyrcado (flurpiridaz F 18) following a pilot at Cardiovascular Medicine in Davenport, Iowa, that yielded promising results.

Cardiovascular Associates of America (CVAUSA), the country’s largest network of private cardiology groups, plans to implement Flyrcado across roughly 25 sites in its system.

CVAUSA, which performs an estimated 85,000 cardiac PET scans annually, is incorporating Flyrcado into its broader cardiac imaging strategy. The decision follows a two-week pilot in Davenport involving 21 patients, where clinicians evaluated Flyrcado’s integration into high-volume workflows.
“The pilot demonstrated that Flyrcado can be seamlessly integrated into a high-volume cardiac PET practice,” said Dr. Edmund Coyne, former president of Cardiovascular Medicine. “We saw firsthand the benefits in diagnostic confidence and efficiency, as well as excellent image quality.”

CVAUSA CEO Tim Attebery emphasized the role of PET imaging in supporting cardiovascular care. “Following a successful pilot with Flyrcado, we’re excited to bring this technology to more of our sites, helping our partner cardiologists make more informed decisions for patients with known or suspected coronary artery disease,” he said.

Flyrcado received FDA approval earlier in 2025 and is designed for use in myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) to evaluate coronary artery disease. According to GE HealthCare, the radiotracer has been adopted in a range of settings, from academic institutions to mobile PET/CT units.

The company also noted Flyrcado’s inclusion in newly published international imaging guidelines, developed by SNMMI, ASNC, EANM, and ACNM, which outline standards for its use and compare its technical attributes favorably with SPECT.

GE HealthCare, based in Arlington Heights, Illinois, continues to grow its pharmaceutical diagnostics portfolio, which supports around 130 million imaging procedures globally each year.

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