ACR Image Metrix™ Enables Pharma and Biotech Companies to Employ Dynamic Contrast Enhanced MRI in Drug Discovery and Development

ACR Image Metrix™ Enables Pharma and Biotech Companies to Employ Dynamic Contrast Enhanced MRI in Drug Discovery and Development

American College of Radiology (ACR) Image Metrix,™ a leader in imaging trial design, techniques, data extraction, management and analysis, has successfully implemented dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) in clinical research for drug trials and stands ready to assist pharmaceutical and biotech companies to appropriately implement this cutting-edge technique in their clinical research programs.

“ACR Image Metrix offers its clients an unusually strong scientific perspective, matching the imaging approach to client's imaging needs. We are proud to offer world-class DCE-MRI to our clients with drug development programs addressing vascular pathways,” stated Bruce Hillman, M.D., FACR, ACR Image Metrix Chief Scientific Officer.

DCE-MRI can be a useful adjunctive study in late Phase I or Phase II drug trials to identify in vivo tumor vascular responsiveness to the study drug. In Phase I studies, DCE-MRI may be used to identify a dose-response curve, or to determine the longevity of anti-tumor effect. In Phase II studies targeting a smaller number of tumor types, DCE-MRI response may be tracked and compared to downstream clinical markers of efficacy, such as progression free survival.

DCE-MRI is a non-invasive imaging method which allows clinical trials to evaluate the status of the tumor microcirculation repeatedly over time to assess the effectiveness of developmental drug activity. Routine contrast MRI imaging is performed either in the steady-state or in a semi-dynamic manner. True DCE-MRI differs from these approaches in that it can help determine the phamacodynamics of tumor contrast enhancement, specifically the degree and rate of early tumor enhancement as a reflection of tumor vascularity.

In order to capture this pharmacodynamic information, imaging in DCE-MRI must occur at a much faster rate (on the order of 2-10 seconds) than that normally performed in clinical MRI. Imaging at these rates, with existing MRI equipment, places restrictions on image quality, image resolution, and volume of coverage. Trials employing DCE-MRI require rigorous standardization to ensure minimal variability between and within patients.

“Despite the hurdles one must overcome in DCE-MRI, many clinical studies have demonstrated the efficacy of DCE-MRI for tumor vascular evaluation during vascular targeted therapy,” said Mark Rosen, M.D., Assistant Professor of Radiology at the University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, and Scientific Director of the ACR Image Metrix MRI Core Labs. Dr. Rosen is a leading expert on the use of DCE-MRI in clinical research.

ACR Image Metrix is a leader in the use of cutting-edge imaging techniques in drug discovery and development. The imaging physicians and scientists at ACR Image Metrix work with sponsors to select the most appropriate imaging techniques based on the disease process and the mechanism of drug activity. ACR Image Metrix has successful trial experiences both with conventional imaging and emerging modalities like PET, magnetic resonance spectroscopy and dynamic contrast enhanced MRI.

To learn more about ACR Image Metrix please visit www.acr-imagemetrix.net or call 888-817-0817.