The Germany-based pharmaceutical company is the result of the take-over of Schering AG by Bayer AG in 2006. The Bayer Schering Pharma AG is part of the Bayer HealthCare AG, which represents the pharmaceutical part of the Bayer Group.
The company makes ultrasound, x-ray and MRI contrast media, drugs for treating cancer, multiple-sclerosis, heart and nervous system disorders and severe skin conditions.
In general, its activities are focused on four business areas: Fertility control & hormone therapy, diagnostics & radiopharmaceuticals, dermatology as well as specialized therapeutics for disabling diseases in the fields of the central nervous system, oncology and cardiovascular system.
Currently, Bayer Schering Pharma discontinued the manufacturing and development of ultrasound contrast agents.

Ultrasound Contrast Agents:

The company is a member of the Bracco Group, a highly innovative health care group and world leader in global integrated solutions for the diagnostic imaging field. The Bracco Group is headquartered in Milan, Italy. Its North American operations consist of Bracco Diagnostics and Bracco Research USA, both located in Princeton, New Jersey. Bracco Diagnostics is one of the fastest growing developers and marketers of diagnostic pharmaceuticals in North America, with products for various imaging applications, including Isovue® (iopamidol) X-ray contrast agent, ProHance®, (gadoteridol), MRI contrast agent, and nuclear medicine products.
Gadoteridol has been available in Europe and the USA for several years. Holder of the Marketing Authorization: Bracco International B.V. - Strawinskylaan 3051 - 1077 ZX Amsterdam The Netherlands. (Contact: Kirk Deeter, Phone: +NL-303-838-8708)

The Bracco Group is the world's leading provider of global diagnostic imaging solutions, with net sales of more than 1 billion euro, of which more than 64% from international sales; it has operations in 115 countries and about 3,500 employees, of whom more than 600 work in R&D. Bracco invests around 15% of its turnover in R&D and has a portfolio of 1,500 patents worldwide. The Bracco Group deploys an integrated approach to diagnostic imaging, with an offer that encompasses contrast media, its core business where it is one of the world's top players, biomedical equipment from Esaote, one of the world's primary producers of magnetic resonance and ultrasonographic medical equipment, contrast media delivery systems from Acist Medical Systems, a top US company in advanced contrast media injection systems, and medical application software from EBIT-AET and Singapore's Volume Interactions, the leading developer of advanced medical software. Bracco has formed a high-level international research network, whose three centers in Milan, Geneva and Princeton study and develop products for the latest-generation diagnostic techniques, from X-rays and computerized axial tomography to magnetic resonance and echo contrast.

Ultrasound Contrast Agents:

Brachytherapy is a radiation therapy in which radioactive material (radioisotopes) sealed in needles, seeds or wires is placed directly into or near a tumor. Brachytherapy uses ultrasound imaging to visualize the needles for accurate placement of the small seeds or pellets (capsules) directly into e.g., the prostate. Ultrasound imaging allows accurate planning, placement and implantation of the radiation sources. Implantation of the seeds is a minimally invasive procedure.
Radioactive seeds are inserted through the perineum skin (the area between the scrotum and the anus) into the prostate gland. With correct planning, the surgeon can implant the radiation sources for maximum benefits to effective cancer treatment.

See also EchoSeed™, Prostate Ultrasound, Thermotherapy, High Intensity Focused Ultrasound, Urologic Ultrasound, Transurethral Sonography.

[This entry is marked for removal.]

From POINT Biomedical Corp
CARDIOsphere® is an ultrasound contrast agent for assessment of myocardial perfusion in patients with coronary artery disease composed of highly echogenic bispheres.
PB127 is a new developed microbubble with a bilayer polymer/albumin shell filled with nitrogen gas that has ideal characteristics for power harmonic Doppler. They can be destroyed by high power ultrasound, and spectral decorrelation between ultrasound pulses is maximized by rapid dissolution of the released nitrogen gas.
POINT Biomedical Corp. announced (March 01, 2004) that it has completed two Phase 3 trials of CARDIOsphere®. The Phase 3 trials were designed to evaluate the performance of CARDIOsphere® imaging relative to radionuclide imaging for detecting obstructive coronary artery disease and identifying the anatomic location of perfusion defects.

From SIUI Inc.;
'A breakthrough in traditional designation
The latest technologies and processes
Closely combined with up-to-date IT technology
A variety of advanced ultrasound imaging technologies
The best solution provided for users'

'CTS-5000 can match a variety of super high density, super broadband, multi-frequency probes, including convex, micro-convex, linear, vaginal, rectal probes etc., which are widely used to different clinical diagnosis such as abdominal (liver, kidney, gall-bladder, pancreas), gynecology (uterus, ovary), obstetrics (early pregnancy, basic obstetrics, multi gestation, fetal echo), cardiology (adult and pediatric cardiology), small parts (thyroid, galactophore, testicles), peripheral vascular, prostate.'