It's back to the future in nuclear medicine.

Up till now, if you needed a PET scanner, you had to purchase a used system since the OEMs abandoned this new equipment market years ago. But now, a niche manufacturer has come out with a new, stand-alone PET.

Positron Corporation out of Indianapolis has just received FDA 510(k) approval to market its new PET system, the first such system to be sold new in the U.S. in several years.
Positron has a joint venture with Neusoft Medical Systems, Shenyang, China, to manufacture the device. The Attrius is a dedicated, state-of-the-art PET molecular imaging system designed for cardiac imaging studies.

While PET is a more costly procedure than the SPECT imaging typically done in cardiac nuclear medicine, PET can cut long-term costs. The accuracy of PET helps reduce the need for angiograms down the road. It can also reduce bypass surgeries by more accurately identifying which patients require that invasive procedure and which can use alternative therapies.

"Despite the fact that PET is more expensive [than SPECT], we can save money in the long run," Positron President Joseph Oliverio
told DOTmed News. He said that their device is perfect for rural hospital ERs and an economic alternative for cardiology group practices. "The whole market is going PET/CT and my fear is that PET/CT technology is overpriced for cardiology groups to buy. Our alternative is ideal for the thousands of cardiology groups who might be looking to improve their diagnosis; and it is reimbursed favorably."

The device and cardiac disease software were designed by cardiologists and informed by published studies conducted by the clinicians and technologists who started Positron. Neusoft Medical Systems (named for Northeastern University software) adds its engineering and manufacturing know-how.

Priced somewhere between a refurbished stand-alone PET and a new PET/CT, it is clear that the new device will compete not with the OEMs, but with the refurbished market. Oliverio feels Attrius strikes a perfect balance of affordability and benefits of buying a new device.

"It's definitely more stable than PET/CT with a lower cost of entry. It has updated electronics. It is really updated to today's standards where some of the older refurbished units have yesterday's technology," he said.

With the newly minted FDA okay, the company can now ramp up production and sales to cardiology offices and hospitals. The device seems well timed given the current urgency to curb costs and demonstrate effectiveness as the U.S. considers health care reform options. Positron will market Attrius in North America; Neusoft in China once it's approved there. The two companies will share the rest of the world market.

More About Positron

Positron Corporation is a vertically integrated company in the field of Cardiac Nuclear Medicine. The Company operates through two segments:
Radiopharmaceutical Products and Molecular Imaging Devices. The Pharmaceutical Products segment offers world's first robotic systems (Nuclear Pharm-Assist® & Cardio-Assist™) for distribution and delivery of radiopharmaceuticals and provides radiopharmaceutical agents used for the diagnosis of cardiac diseases; the Molecular Imaging Devices segment provides PET scanners (Attrius™) and SPECT cameras (Pulse®);. Positron's SPECT and PET cardiac molecular imaging systems and radiopharmaceutical deliver devices are installed in more than 150 hospitals and physician offices around the world. Additional information may be found at http://www.positron.com.

Watch for an industry sector report on nuclear medicine in the June 2009 issue of DOTmed Business News.

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