CPDC

CPDC Cancer Imaging Research Programs Receive Renewed Funding of $2.9 Million from OICR

tony — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 14:00:59 +0000

Investment acknowledges groundbreaking progress and provides CPDC with additional resources to continue work to bring new radiopharmaceuticals for personalized cancer diagnosis and treatment to clinical use in Ontario.

HAMILTON ON and LONDON ON, (April 23, 2012)—Cancer research in Ontario, aimed at developing the next generation of radiopharmaceuticals, received a financial boost today. The Centre for Probe Development and Commercialization (CPDC) received a new four-year investment from the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research (OICR) of more than $2.9 million. The funding will enable CPDC to continue its groundbreaking work in developing and commercializing new radiopharmaceuticals that will help physicians to improve the non-invasive diagnosis and staging of cancer, select the best targeted therapies, assess the effectiveness of treatment in days rather than months, and improve outcomes for adult and pediatric cancer patients.

The funding was announced today by Dr. Calvin Stiller, Chair, OICR Board of Directors, at Western University’s Research Park in London, ON. CPDC received the funding as part of an overall $9.9-million investment in the OICR Imaging Translation Platform, a program led by Dr. Aaron Fenster and Dr. Martin Yaffe, focusing on accelerating the development of imaging tools and techniques for earlier detection, diagnosis and treatment of cancer. This investment provides the not-for-profit centre of excellence with a second round of funding for its unique, innovative programs that have already made significant progress in bringing new molecular imaging probes for cancer diagnosis to Ontario.

Since its startup in 2008, CPDC has worked with partners in health care, academia and industry to bring new radiopharmaceuticals to Ontario for clinical trials focused on breast, prostate, pancreatic, bone and cervical cancers and also pediatric lymphoma. CPDC is manufacturing the molecular imaging probes for collaborative studies at leading hospitals and the Centre expects that its products and services will be supporting more than a dozen clinical trials by the end of the year. CPDC’s growing staff of more than 60 is also working with researchers and pharmaceutical companies to identify promising radiopharmaceuticals still in the laboratory that can be advanced to the clinic and commercialized using the expertise and capabilities that CPDC offers.

“CPDC plays a key role in supporting OICR’s goal to move promising diagnostic and therapeutic imaging technologies to practical use in personalized patient care and to bring commercial benefits to Ontario’s growing knowledge economy,” said Dr. Thomas Hudson, President and Scientific Director of the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research. “The Centre is a flagship organization that has made rapid progress in bringing new medical imaging probes to Ontario and serves as a model of how collaborative efforts can advance medical discoveries to commercialization.”

“It is tremendously gratifying to be acknowledged by OICR and the provincial government for our achievements in bringing new probes to Ontario, fostering commercialization and translational cancer research, and to earn the confidence that brings new funding to support our work for another four years,” said Dr. John Valliant, CEO and Scientific Director of CPDC. “This is an exciting time for CPDC, for our host McMaster University and for cancer research in Ontario. Through partnership with CPDC, researchers and clinicians from across the province are able to develop and access radiopharmaceuticals for imaging studies and ultimately to provide personalized diagnosis, improve patient outcomes and reduce costs to our health care system. CPDC provides radiopharmaceuticals to leading imaging hospitals in Ontario and is helping to network imaging centres across the country.”

About Centre for Probe Development and Commercialization (CPDC):

CPDC discovers, develops and distributes molecular imaging probes for the early diagnosis of diseases and to assess the effectiveness of treatments. An important part of Ontario’s health system, CPDC provides a reliable, daily supply of imaging probes to hospitals across the province. CPDC also works collaboratively with industry and academic partners, offering the research, manufacturing and regulatory expertise needed to move innovative probe technology and new therapeutic drugs from R&D labs to clinical use. CPDC is a Centre of Excellence for Commercialization and Research, part of the Networks of Centres of Excellence Program, and is supported by the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, GE Healthcare, McMaster University, Cancer Care Ontario and VWR. To learn more, visit CPDC at www.imagingprobes.ca.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Kristina Trollip
Centre for Probe Development and Commercialization
Office: (905) 525-9140 Ext. 26882
trollip@imagingprobes.ca

Radiopharmaceutical for Targeted Treatment of Prostate Cancer to Enter Clinical Trials

tony — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 05:35:41 +0000

Canadian centre of excellence partners with US-based Molecular Insight Pharmaceuticals to manufacture a new radiopharmaceutical for clinical trials that will evaluate the potential to deliver targeted radiotherapy directly to metastatic prostate cancer.

HAMILTON, ON, CANADA and CAMBRIDGE, MA, USA. (January 30, 2012)—A new targeted radiopharmaceutical, designed to deliver a therapeutic dose of radiation directly to metastatic prostate cancer, will be manufactured in Hamilton, Ontario to be used in clinical trials that will evaluate its efficacy and benefits for patients. The radiopharmaceutical, I-131-MIP-1466, will be manufactured by the Centre for Probe Development and Commercialization (CPDC, Hamilton, ON), for the developer of the compound, US-based Molecular Insight Pharmaceuticals (Molecular Insight, Cambridge, MA). The trial, anticipated to start in early 2013, will mark the first time that a small-molecule-based radiopharmaceutical specifically targeting prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA), a type of protein expressed in high levels on prostate tumours, will be tested for its ability to treat prostate tumours that have spread throughout the body.

According to the World Health Organization, prostate cancer is the most common cancer affecting North American men. Nearly 95% of primary prostate tumours are curable using radiation therapy if detected and treated in the earliest stages; however, treatment is much less successful when the disease spreads beyond the prostate gland. The introduction of a targeted treatment method, that could selectively deliver high doses of radiation to tumours that have spread throughout the body, has the potential to open new options for treating metastatic prostate disease.

Dr. John W. Babich, President and Chief Scientific Officer of Molecular Insight Pharmaceuticals, noted, “As we prepare to enter clinical trials with our novel small molecule platform for targeting prostate cancer, we sought a manufacturing partner that could meet our demanding standards and timelines. We selected CPDC because of the Centre’s outstanding quality assurance program and proven reliability in rapidly achieving robust GMP manufacturing standards. In CPDC we are seeking a manufacturing partner that can deliver the highest quality radiopharmaceutical for our clinical trial needs and one that has the ability to expand as our program develops.”

“One of CPDC’s primary goals is to attract new technologies and investment to Canada’s rapidly growing medical imaging and radiopharmaceutical markets and to create jobs in groundbreaking, high-impact areas in the life sciences,” said Dr. John Valliant, CEO and Scientific Director of CPDC. “Our capacity to innovate, dedication to quality and ability to deliver outstanding customer service has enabled us to work with companies like Molecular Insight and play an important part in advancing new technologies for the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. This partnership, demonstrates how CPDC’s unique capabilities help to build bridges between academic programs and the private sector to support Ontario’s strengths in imaging and probe development.”

CPDC, a not-for-profit Centre of Excellence for Commercialization and Research (CECR), has grown to be a leader in the discovery, development and manufacturing of radiopharmaceuticals. The Centre has introduced several new radiopharmaceuticals to Ontario that are now being used in clinical trials to diagnose and stage various cancers and to monitor patient response in chemotherapy trials.

Molecular Insight continues its pioneering efforts in molecular medicine. In its work to date, Molecular Insight has demonstrated the ability of small radiolabeled molecules to target PSMA. While prostate-specific-antigen (PSA) screening has become the primary tool for the detection of prostate cancer, this blood test provides no information about the location and extent of the disease. New imaging methods that will more accurately diagnose and stage metastatic prostate cancer, as well as monitor progression and response to therapy, should enable improved patient management, including treatment selection and planning. Molecular Insight believes it can offer a more sophisticated means of decision making for the oncologist, which should translate to better patient outcomes. Molecular Insight has diagnostic radiopharmaceuticals currently in clinical development for visualizing metastatic prostate cancer, which have yielded high-quality images of lymph node and bone lesions in prostate cancer patients. I-131-MIP-1466 is a therapeutic analog of these diagnostic compounds and is radiolabeled with I-131 to enable targeted radiotherapy. Molecular Insight has demonstrated in preclinical models that I-131-MIP-1466 inhibits tumour growth in human prostate cancer xenografts. The next step is to file an Investigational New Drug application with the FDA in preparation for the initiation of a clinical trial.

NOTES:
1) The safety and efficacy of the radiopharmaceuticals mentioned in this press release are still under investigation. Market authorization in Canada and United States has not yet been obtained.
2) This press release was reviewed and received clearance by the Pharmaceutical Advertising Advisory Board (www.paab.com).

About Centre for Probe Development and Commercialization (CPDC):
CPDC discovers, develops and distributes molecular imaging probes for the early diagnosis of diseases and to assess the effectiveness of treatments. An important part of Ontario’s health system, CPDC provides a reliable, daily supply of imaging probes to hospitals across the province. CPDC also works collaboratively with industry and academic partners, offering the research, manufacturing and regulatory expertise needed to move innovative probe technology and new therapeutic drugs from R&D labs to clinical use. CPDC is a Centre of Excellence for Commercialization and Research, part of the Networks of Centres of Excellence Program, and is supported by the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, GE Healthcare, Cancer Care Ontario, VWR, and McMaster University. To learn more, visit CPDC at www.imagingprobes.ca.

About Molecular Insight Pharmaceuticals
Molecular Insight Pharmaceuticals is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company and pioneer in molecular medicine. The Company is focused on the discovery, development, and commercialization of radiopharmaceuticals for molecular imaging and targeted radiotherapy of cancer with particular emphasis on unmet clinical needs in prostate cancer imaging and therapy. For further information, please visit the Company’s website: www.molecularinsight.com.

Media Contacts
Deborah S. Lorenz
Molecular Insight Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Office: (617) 871-6734
dlorenz@molecularinsight.com

Kristina Trollip
Centre for Probe Development and Commercialization
Office: (905) 525-9140 Ext. 26882
trollip@imagingprobes.ca

Joint Venture Announced to Expand Use of Molecular Imaging in Ontario for Patient Care and Research of Cancer and Other Serious Diseases

admin — Sun, 26 Jun 2011 14:23:59 +0000

CanProbe focuses on developing new radiopharmaceuticals to meet growing Canadian and global demand for advanced diagnostic and therapeutic molecular probes.

TORONTO, ON (June 22, 2011)-CanProbe, a unique, not-for-profit joint venture to advance the use of medical isotopes for diagnosing and treating cancer and other serious diseases, was announced today by the Centre for Probe Development and Commercialization (CPDC) and the University Health Network (UHN).

The joint venture, officially the Canadian Molecular Imaging Probe Consortium (CanProbe), combines the strengths of both organizations to create a new centre of excellence in Toronto to develop and manufacture molecular imaging probes. These probes are part of an advanced imaging technology that uses medical isotopes to assess the health of patients at a cellular level. Using molecular probes, physicians can diagnose diseases earlier and more accurately, monitor the effectiveness of treatments and deliver targeted therapies, often without the need for biopsies or surgeries.

CanProbe will establish a new research, production and distribution centre in Toronto that will supply important, often life-saving, molecular probes to support research and clinical imaging programs for UHN-affiliated hospitals and for the global nuclear medicine community. The centre will also work to introduce new molecular imaging probes to Ontario through its own research and development efforts and by gaining approval to manufacture imaging probes that are successfully used in other parts of the world. CanProbe will provide complete concept-to-clinic services in probe development that include research, development, regulatory approvals, clinical trials, manufacturing and distribution.

UHN and CPDC researchers have already started their first project with CanProbe, working to develop new molecular imaging probes that will help diagnose and treat certain rare medical conditions in children and adults. In many cases, these patients have few options for care and often seek medical attention outside of Ontario or Canada. By enabling hospitals to offer care in Ontario, CanProbe could help to reduce costs to the health care system, improve access to services and ease the financial and emotional difficulties patients experience when they travel outside of their province or territory for medical attention.

“Collaborative initiatives like CanProbe are essential to bring experts together, to foster innovation and accelerate probe development in a way that will have significant benefit for patients,” said John Valliant, CEO and Scientific Director of CPDC. “CPDC has achieved great success in probe development through support and collaborations with the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, General Electric, and our partners at McMaster University and Hamilton Health Sciences in Hamilton. CanProbe is an exciting opportunity to expand our network of partners and to join with a world-class institution like UHN to address the growing need for molecular imaging probes in Ontario and throughout the world.”

“For patients everywhere, this partnership to develop more accurate, targeted, minimally invasive clinical diagnostic tools and treatment is very good news indeed,” said Dr. Robert Bell, President and CEO, UHN. “By joining with CPDC to form CanProbe, we can pool our respective areas of expertise to create the next generation of molecular imaging tools for detecting and treating cancer and other serious diseases. The ability to ‘see’ what is going on inside an individual’s body at the molecular level is an exciting, emerging frontier in medicine. This is what personalizing medicine is all about, tailoring specific treatments to individuals. The possibilities are limitless and we’re eager to get going.”

To ensure continued growth in Canada’s nuclear medicine capabilities, CanProbe will develop recruitment and training programs for all aspects of probe development and commercialization. The goal will be to strengthen the pool of radiochemists, probe development scientists and physicians who are able to use molecular imaging probes in their research programs and clinical practices. Training will also be developed to support probe manufacturing, regulatory affairs, distribution and cyclotron engineering.

Once fully established, CanProbe will promote its products and services on a global scale and work to establish Ontario as an international destination for molecular imaging probe development, clinical trials, and commercialization.

About University Health Network
University Health Network consists of Toronto General, Toronto Western and Princess Margaret Hospitals, and Toronto Rehabilitation Institute. The scope of research and complexity of cases at University Health Network has made it a national and international source for discovery, education and patient care. It has the largest hospital-based research program in Canada, with major research in cardiology, transplantation, neurosciences, oncology, surgical innovation, infectious diseases, and rehabilitation medicine. University Health Network is a research hospital affiliated with the University of Toronto. www.uhn.ca.

Media Contacts

Jane Finlayson
University Health Network
Office: 416-946-2846
Pager: 416-790-4092
jane.finlayson@uhn.on.ca

Kristina Trollip
Centre for Probe Development and Commercialization
Office: 905-525-9140 Ext. 26882
trollip@imagingprobes.ca

CPDC Joins National Project to Develop Alternative Sources of Medical Isotopes

admin — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 14:23:08 +0000

Non-reactor-based production of medical isotopes could provide Canadians with back-up or supplementary supplies and ease disruptions to patient scans.

HAMILTON, ON (January 24, 2011) - The Centre for Probe Development and Commercialization (CPDC) joined the Government of Canada today to announce a national project to develop alternative sources of medical isotopes that could help to secure a reliable, long-term supply for Canadians. Highly experienced in the research, development and manufacturing of isotope-based imaging agents for medical scans, CPDC will collaborate with a national team of experts to demonstrate that commercially available cyclotrons, or particle accelerators, can be used to create back-up or supplementary supplies of one of the most widely used medical isotopes, Technetium-99m (Tc-99m).

CPDC is part of a national team led by TRIUMF and includes BC Cancer Agency and Lawson Health Research Institute. The team will base its development on a broad range of cyclotrons that are already found in hospitals and research institutions across Canada. The primary goal is to show that this equipment could enable regionally based cyclotrons to produce the Tc-99m isotope for local distribution to local clinics.

Smaller and simpler than nuclear reactors, a decentralized network of cyclotrons producing
Tc-99m could potentially mitigate the effects of global isotope shortages for Canadians and help health-care providers perform important, and often life-saving, medical scans as scheduled.

“We are extremely pleased to be part of this very important project, which aims to strengthen our nation’s supply of medical isotopes and reduce the impact to patients resulting from supply interruptions,” said Dr. John Valliant, CEO and Scientific Director of the Centre for Probe Development and Commercialization. “CPDC brings to the team a broad range of expertise in radiochemistry, imaging agent development, quality control and commercialization. We will play a key role in evaluating the technetium that is produced and in assessing the production and purification strategies for the various cyclotrons used in the project.”

The Government of Canada is investing $35 million in the Non-reactor Based Isotope Supply Contribution Project (NISP). The TRIUMF team has been awarded $6 million for its research. Other teams that are participating in the project are being led by Université de Sherbrooke, Canadian Light Source and the Prairie Isotope Production Enterprise.

Technetium-99m, primarily produced in nuclear reactors, was in short supply worldwide when Canada’s Chalk River reactor was shut down in 2009 for an extended period to conduct repairs. The reactor produces more than a third of the world’s supply of medical isotopes and the resulting shortage caused numerous delays and cancellations of medical scans that rely on the isotopes, such as scans of bones, heart, brain, kidneys, liver and more.

About the Centre for Probe Development and Commercialization (CPDC):
CPDC discovers, develops and distributes molecular imaging probes for the early diagnosis of diseases and to assess the effectiveness of treatments. An important part of Ontario’s health system, CPDC provides a reliable, daily supply of imaging probes to hospitals across the province. CPDC also works collaboratively with industry and academic partners, offering the research, manufacturing and regulatory expertise needed to move innovative probe technology and new therapeutic drugs from R&D labs to clinical use.

CPDC, located on the McMaster University Campus, is a Centre of Excellence for Commercialization and Research, part of the Networks of Centres of Excellence Program, and is supported by the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, GE Healthcare, Cancer Care Ontario, and McMaster University. To learn more, visit CPDC at www.imagingprobes.ca.

About TRIUMF:
TRIUMF is Canada’s national laboratory for particle and nuclear physics. Located on the south campus of the University of British Columbia, TRIUMF is owned and operated as a joint venture by a consortium of the following Canadian universities, via a contribution through the National Research Council Canada: University of Alberta, University of British Columbia, University of Calgary, Carleton University, University of Guelph, University of Manitoba, McMaster University, University of Northern British Columbia, Université de Montréal, Queen’s University, University of Regina, Saint Mary’s University, Simon Fraser University, University of Toronto, University of Victoria, and York University. To learn more, visit http://www.triumf.ca and http://www.triumf.ca/nrcan-nisp

About the BC Cancer Agency:
The BC Cancer Agency, an agency of the Provincial Health Services Authority, is committed to reducing the incidence of cancer, reducing the mortality from cancer, and improving the quality of life of those living with cancer. It provides a comprehensive cancer control program for the people of British Columbia by working with community partners to deliver a range of oncology services, including prevention, early detection, diagnosis and treatment, research, education, supportive care, rehabilitation and palliative care. The BC Cancer Foundation raises funds to support research and enhancements to patient care at the BC Cancer Agency. To learn more, visit http://www.bccancer.bc.ca.

About Lawson:
Lawson Health Research Institute, located in London, Ontario, is one of Canada’s largest and most respected hospital-based research institutes. As the research arm of London Health Sciences Centre and St. Joseph’s Health Care, London, and working in partnership with The University of Western Ontario, Lawson is committed to furthering scientific knowledge to advance health care around the world. Its state-of-the-art, 6,000 sq. ft. Nordal Cyclotron & PET Radiochemistry Facility opened on March 31, 2010 and includes a GE PETtrace 8 cyclotron with proton and deuteron acceleration capability, class 100 shielded hot cells, and automated chemistry units for producing F-18 and C-11 radiopharmaceuticals – all to GMP specifications. To learn more, visit http://www.lawsonimaging.ca and http://impatiens.sjhc.london.on.ca/drupal/node/1649.

Media Contact:

Kristina Trollip
Office: 905-525-9140 Ext. 26882
trollip@imagingprobes.ca

CPDC CEO, Scientific Director among Top 40 Under 40

admin — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 14:21:56 +0000

A McMaster University professor, working on the next generation of molecular imaging probes for the early detection of disease, has been named one of Canada’s Top 40 Under 40.

TORONTO, ON (June 7, 2010) John Valliant, associate professor in the departments of Chemistry and Medical Physics, and CEO and scientific director of the Centre for Probe Development and Commercialization (CPDC), was included in the annual list of exceptional people, published in today’s edition of The Globe and Mail. He was selected from more than 1,100 nominees across Canada from private, public, and not-for-profit sectors. Winners were chosen based on vision and leadership; innovation and achievement; impact; community involvement and contribution; and strategy for growth.

Under Valliant’s leadership, McMaster University in collaboration with the CPDC is developing new molecular imaging technologies, or probes, that seek out disease within patients and provide imaging equipment, like positron emission tomography (PET) scanners, with a clear beacon to identify problem areas. These advanced probes indicate regions of altered biochemical activity showing how aggressively diseases are progressing and how well they might respond to treatment.

CPDC, the only Centre of its kind in the world, is based at McMaster and was created as a partnership between the University, federal and provincial governments and industry partners. The Centre acts as a bridge between university research and clinical use of new imaging tools-helping to get technology out of the lab, approved by regulators, and into the hands of physicians.

Valliant’s research, teaching and work at the CPDC has fostered significant investment in medical isotope research, development and clinical translation in Hamilton. This includes a $22-million investment in nuclear research and the nuclear reactor at McMaster through the Knowledge Infrastructure Program. It has also attracted the installation of a prototype molecular breast imaging camera in Hamilton, which is part of a trial to evaluate new technology for the early detection of breast cancer in high-risk women.

In addition to research, Valliant is actively involved in teaching at McMaster, which includes teaching first-year chemistry. He also led a successful proposal to establish a new training program for the next generation of probe development scientists, in a partnership with the Cross Cancer Institute at the University of Alberta. This program will teach scientists to work in a collaborative environment and to solve key problems in basic science medicine, including the current medical isotope crisis.

Link to The Globe and Mail article

About CPDC

CPDC discovers, develops and distributes molecular imaging probes for the early diagnosis of diseases and to assess the effectiveness of treatments. An important part of Ontario’s health system, CPDC provides a reliable, daily supply of imaging probes to hospitals across the province. CPDC also works collaboratively with industry and academic partners, offering the research, manufacturing and regulatory expertise needed to move innovative probe technology and new therapeutic drugs from R&D labs to clinical use. The CPDC is a Centre of Excellence for Commercialization and Research, part of the Networks of Centres of Excellence Program, and is supported by the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, GE Healthcare, Cancer Care Ontario, and McMaster University.

About McMaster University

McMaster University, one of four Canadian universities listed among the Top 100 universities in the world, is renowned for its innovation in both learning and discovery. It has a student population of 23,000, and more than 145,000 alumni in 128 countries.

About Canada’s Top 40 Under 40

Canada’s Top 40 Under 40^TM is a prestigious national award program that honours 40 Canadians in the private, public and not-for-profit sectors under the age of 40. The program, now in its 15th year, is managed by founding sponsor, The Caldwell Partners International, and partner sponsors Deloitte, National Bank Financial, The Globe and Mail, and WestJet. A list of the Recipients of Canada’s Top 40 Under 40 are published in The Globe and Mail on June 7. Honorees will attend a series of celebratory events at the beginning of June in Toronto, including an Awards Ceremony to be held at the Canadian Broadcasting Centre at noon on Tuesday, June 8, where they will be presented with their Top 40 Crystal Cube.

For more information, please contact:

Jane Christmas
Manager, Public & Media Relations
McMaster University
905-525-9140 ext. 27988
chrisja@mcmaster.ca

Michelle Donovan
Public Relations Manager: Broadcast Media
McMaster University
905-525-9140 ext. 22869
donovam@mcmaster.ca

Kristina Trollip
Centre for Probe Development and Commercialization
905-525-9140 ext. 26882
trollip@imagingprobes.ca

CPDC Scientific Director delivers SNM opening plenary lecture

admin — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 14:20:31 +0000

TORONTO, ON (June 19, 2009) Challenging times are shaping the future of molecular imaging probe development and nuclear medicine, according to the CPDC’s John Valliant.

Valliant, PhD, scientific director and CEO at the CPDC, spoke at the Society of Nuclear Medicine’s Annual Meeting in Toronto on June 14, 2009, where he urged scientists to be innovative and not to rely on already established approaches and targets. He pointed to the current and most pressing challenge — the world isotope shortage — and the potential to alleviate such shortages in the long term by creating a redundant supply of isotopes through the development of new imaging probes.

Speaking to more than 1,500 scientists, physicians, technicians and policy makers from Canada and around the world, Valliant delivered the opening Henry N. Wagner Jr. plenary lecture.

His talk, A Bridge Not Too Far: Linking Disciplines Through Molecular Imaging Probes, focused on the important role molecular imaging plays in diagnostic medicine. Molecular imaging is a rapidly emerging field that combines the disciplines of chemistry, biology, medicine and radiology. It enables researchers and doctors to visualize biological processes in a non-invasive way – seeing biology in action as opposed to a static picture of structure or anatomy. Valliant used the evolution of diagnosing breast cancer to illustrate the importance of molecular imaging.

Currently, mammography is the standard screening tool for this disease, but not all women are well-served by this traditional imaging modality. Early research indicates that molecular breast imaging has the potential to impact health outcomes for women worldwide. Women who are at higher risk of developing breast cancer, such as those with a family history, and women who have dense breast tissue (mostly younger women) would be the prime candidates for this new technology.

In the future, Valliant’s lecture will be available online at the SNM website. The Society of Nuclear Medicine is an international scientific and professional organization with 16,000 members, including physicians, technologists and scientists specializing in the research and practice of nuclear medicine.