If this is not your name, click here.
| | If this is not your name, click here. | | |
| | Contact Us | Order Now | Journals | Bookstore | Register a colleague | | |
| |  FS069 Associated with Significant Cost Savings Due to Enhanced Diagnostic CHICAGO, Oct. 23, 1996 -- Molecular Biosystems Inc. (NYSE:MB) (MBI) and Mallinckrodt Inc. (NYSE:MKG) jointly announced Wednesday positive results of a pharmaco-economic analysis of patients in a Phase 3 study of FS069, an ultrasound contrast imaging agent. The results were presented Wednesday at the 11th annual symposium for Advances in Echocardiography. The findings were presented by Leslee Shaw, Ph.D., from the Duke University Outcomes Assessment Group. The cost of care related to the initial patient condition for the ultrasound study, including initial and follow-up tests was evaluated. Cardiologists performing the ultrasound contrast study with FS069 determined whether follow-up testing of any kind was required after noncontrast and FS069-contrast studies. Direct hospital physician costs for such tests were derived from hospital cost accounting systems and Medicare fee schedules. The analysis demonstrated a diagnostic yield of 86.7 percent after FS069, compared with 49.3 percent after noncontrast studies. This resulted in a need for follow-up testing in only 12.3 percent of patients after receiving FS069-contrast, compared with 41.9 percent following noncontrast studies. The difference in diagnostic costs between noncontrast and FS069-contrast studies was 18.3 percent even after including a presumed cost of FS069-contrast. The savings per patient, following FS069-contrast administration to every patient undergoing diagnostic cardiac ultrasound, was calculated to be $119. Shaw also found that a change in diagnosis occurred in one of every 2.7 nondiagnostic echo patients receiving FS069-contrast. She concluded that the use of FS069-contrast results in a promising strategy with significantly improved effectiveness. "Based on the results of this study, we believe that FS069 may have the potential to effectively reduce expensive follow-on studies by improving the diagnostic accuracy of ultrasound imaging in cardiology,'' said Kenneth J. Widder, M.D., chairman and chief executive officer of Molecular Biosystems. FS069 is undergoing review by the Food and Drug Administration pursuant to its approval process and is not yet cleared for marketing in the United States. Molecular Biosystems, based in San Diego, is a leader in the development of ultrasound contrast agents for medical imaging. ALBUNEX, the first FDA-approved ultrasound imaging agent is currently marketed in the United States by Mallinckrodt. MBI shares are listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol MB. Mallinckrodt is an international growth company serving specialty markets in human health care and chemicals. Dedicated to improving health care and chemistry, the company is a major producer of diagnostic imaging agents, medical devices, pain-relief pharmaceuticals, catalysts and laboratory and micro-electronic chemicals. The St. Louis-based company, with fiscal 1996 net sales of $2.2 billion, sells more than 2,000 products in more than 100 countries. Mallinckrodt employs about 10,400 people worldwide. The Mallinckrodt Web site address is www.mallinckrodt.com. This news release contains forward-looking statements that involve risk and uncertainties. The final results of the study may differ from the company's expectations as discussed above. Among the factors that could result in a materially different outcome are the actions of the regulatory authorities and the uncertainties inherent in the development of a new product.
|
