Eovist® (other brand name Primovist™) is a organ specific MRI contrast agent for the imaging, detection and characterization of liver conditions, including liver tumors, cysts, as well as other malignant and benign lesions. It is a water-soluble ethoxybenzyl derivative of Gd-DTPA. This compound is taken up by the hepatocytes (approximately 30% of the dose goes to the hepatocytes) and is equally excreted renal and biliary in humans. Excretion of Gd-EOB-DTPA in the bile may also permit visualization of both the gall bladder and the bile ducts.
Eovist® brightens the signal of T1 weighted MR images immediately after contrast administration. Dynamic and accumulation phase imaging can also be performed after bolus injection of Eovist®. The hepatocytes uptake will increase the signal intensity of normal liver parenchyma at 10 to 20 minutes after injection. This results in improved lesion-to-liver contrast because malignant tumors (metastases, the majority of hepatocellular carcinomas) do not contain either hepatocytes or their functioning is hampered.

WARNING: 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 also Drug Development and Approval Process USA, Contrast Medium, Hepatobiliary Contrast Agents, Tumor Specific Agents and Molecular Imaging.

Short name: SHU 555 A, generic name: Ferucarbotran
A RES-directed MRI contrast agent (SPIO) made-up of a colloidal sol of iron oxide nanoparticles coated with carboxydextran (Resovist®, Cliavist™).
It is used for the detection and characterization of especially small focal liver lesions and offers the opportunity to make a reliable diagnosis at a very early stage of patients with suspected liver tumors.
Bayer Schering Pharma AG announced that it has received marketing approval for the liver-specific contrast agent Resovist® in Japan. See Contrast Agents and Superparamagnetic Contrast Agents.

Short name: Gadofluorine-8 (M), central moiety: Gd2+
Gadofluorine is a substance appropriate for a lymph node specific MRI contrast agent (Bayer Schering Pharma AG) and a blood pool agent with positive enhancement.

See also Blood Pool Agents.

Short name: (Gd-DTPA)-17, 24 cascade polymer, generic name: Gadomer-17, 24, central moiety: Gd2+, relaxivity: r1=11.9, B0=1.0 T, r2=16.5, Dose: 0.05 mmol/kg
An intravascular macromolecular MRI contrast agent with positive enhancement under development (Bayer Schering Pharma AG) for MR angiography and tumor differentiation. The synthetic dendrimer with large molecular weight (17kD - limits agent to vascular space) is linked to Gadolinium. The renal excretion is slowed to intermediate molecular size. In MRA a longer lasting venous and arterial enhancement was seen with Gadomer-17 due to the particular pharmacokinetics of this agent.

See also Tumor Specific Agents, and Intravascular Contrast Agents.

Short name: Gd-DTPA mesoporphyrin, generic name: gadophrin, central moiety: Gd2+
Gadophrin is a substance under development (Bayer Schering Pharma AG) as a positive enhancing myocardium- and necrosis- targeted MRI contrast agent.

See also Metalloporphyrins and Necrosis Avid Contrast Agent.