VisEn Medical Announces the Launch of an Industry-First FMT Imaging System and Optical Probe Product Line

Backed by 18 Abstracts at the 4th Annual Meeting of the Society For Molecular Imaging

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Sept. 2 /PRNewswire/ - VisEn Medical today announced that it will formally launch its Fluorescence Molecular Tomography ("FMT") system and optical probe product line at the Fourth Annual Meeting of the Society For Molecular Imaging ("SMI"), being held September 7-10 in Cologne, Germany. A pioneer in the field of molecular imaging, VisEn began selling a pre-commercial version of its instrument and its line of optical probe products in the first half of 2005. Underscoring the quantitative power and broad utility of the technology, VisEn's customers, collaborators and company scientists will present a total of 18 abstracts at the SMI meeting, including those on applications in cancer drug testing, bone remodeling and cardiovascular disease.

"We are extremely pleased by the strong customer acceptance of our technology and look forward to expanded commercial shipments and use of our instrument," said Kirtland G. Poss, President and CEO. "Ours is the first optical system to enable truly quantitative, deep tissue, three-dimensional tomographic imaging of fluorescence in animals. In addition, we offer our line of optimized in vivo probes and comprehensive technical support in the chemistry, biology and pharmacology of imaging. We are working with customers to truly apply molecular imaging in their core areas of research and drug development. Our five thought-leading pharmaceutical and academic beta sites and about 20 additional pharmaceutical and academic customers have already begun to use our line of molecular imaging probes for a variety of small animal imaging studies, and the results of some of their work will be on display in Cologne," he added.

SMI Meeting Highlights5

Abstract #504, "'Smart' Optical Probes in Imaging of Tumor Growth and in Preclinical Drug Testing," by Tsing-Bau Chen and colleagues, evaluated VisEn's instrument and two imaging probes in measuring tumor volume in subcutaneous, metastatic and orthotopic tumor models as compared to measurements using calipers and fluorescence-bioluminescence, thereby providing cross validation between established metrics of disease measurement and novel optical imaging methods for in vivo cancer imaging research.

Abstract #487, "Simultaneous Imaging of Protease Expression and Biodistribution in Her-2/neu Mice Using Dual-Wavelength Fluorescence Molecular Tomography," by Stephen Windsor and colleagues, demonstrates the ability to measure both disease activity and tumor biomarkers simultaneously.

Abstract #527, "Near-Infrared Assessment of Skeletal Turnover by Fluorescence Molecular Tomography," by Kenneth Kozloff and colleagues, demonstrates the use of VisEn's technology for monitoring skeletal turnover in two animal models of bone repair.

Abstract # 270, "In Vivo High-Resolution Near Infrared Imaging of Inflammatory Protease Activity in Experimental Atherosclerosis," by Mathias Nahrendorf and colleagues, illustrates the microscopic level resolution that can be achieved with VisEn's molecular imaging probes.

About VisEn Medical

Founded in 2000 based on technologies developed at the Center for Molecular Imaging Research at the Massachusetts General Hospital, VisEn Medical is developing today's leading molecular imaging product platforms. The Company's proprietary FMT system and optical imaging probe portfolio enable applied imaging at the molecular level. The Company's technology platforms are designed to be fundamentally translatable from animal imaging into the clinic, and its products are targeted to the molecular imaging of important disease states including oncology, bone growth, cardiovascular disease and inflammation. VisEn is headquartered in Woburn, Massachusetts. For further information please visit www.visenmedical.com.

VisEn Medical-Related Abstracts at the Society for Molecular Imaging Annual Meeting (See http://www.molecularimaging.org/meeting05/program05.php)

(076) Integrin Expression in Human Tumor Xenografts: In Vivo Imaging Using a Target Specific Optical Tracer. von Wallbrunn A, Holtke C, Zuhlsdorf M, Heindel W, Schafers M, Bremer C. Poster Session 101: Biological Molecular Imaging, Part 1.

(156) 3D In Vivo Imaging of GFP-Expressing T-cells in Mice with Non- Contact Fluorescence Molecular Tomography. Garofalakis A, Zacharakis G, Meyer H, Mamalaki C, Kioussis D, Economou E, Ntziachristos V, Ripoll J. Poster Session 105: Design Methods for Imaging Probes.

(187) 3D Surface Reconstruction for In Vivo Small Animal Imaging. Meyer H, Garofalakis A, Zacharakis G, Economou E, Mamalaki C, Kioussis D, Ntziachristos V, Ripoll J. Poster Session 106: Multimodal Imaging- Instrumentation.

(267) Gene Expression Profiling to Direct In Vivo Molecular Imaging of Lung Cancer. Grimm J, Kirsch D, Windsor S, Ntziachristos V, Jacks T, Weissleder R. Poster Session 110: Imaging in Infectious Diseases, Protease Activity and Oncogenesis.

(268) Imaging of Cathepsin K Activity in Atherosclerosis Using a Protease-activatable Near Infrared Fluorescence Agent. Kim D., Jaffer F., Quinti L., Tung C., Aikawa E., Libby P. Weissleder, R. Poster Session 110: Imaging in Infectious Diseases, Protease Activity and Oncogenesis.

(270) In Vivo High-Resolution Near Infrared Imaging of Inflammatory Protease Activity in Experimental Atherosclerosis. Nahrendorf M, Kossodo S, Jaffer F. Poster Session 110: Imaging in Infectious Diseases, Protease Activity and Oncogenesis.

(334) Near-Infrared Fluorescence Imaging of Bone Remodeling Using Osteosense. Kossodo S, Erickson C, Carlson S, Alaoui H. Poster Session 113: Biological Molecular Imaging, Part 3.

(346) Imaging Pulmonary Inflammation Using Fluorescence Molecular Tomography. Windsor S, Turner G, Weissleder R, Ntziachristos V. Poster Session 113: Biological Molecular Imaging, Part 3.

(440) Non Invasive Fluorescent Protein Tomography of Tumor-Specific T Cells In The Tumor Bed. Pittet M, Tamura T, Zacharakis G, Mollins A, Khazaie K, von Boehmer H, von Andrian U, Ntziachristos V, Weissleder R. Poster Session 118: Cell Trafficking and Cell Biology.

(487) Simultaneous Imaging of Protease Expression and Biodistribution in Her-2/neu Mice Using Dual-Wavelength Fluorescence Molecular Tomography. Windsor S, Shih H, Weissleder R, Ntziachristos V. Poster Session 119: Molecular and Functional Imaging in Cancer, Part 4.

(504) "Smart" Optical Probes in Imaging of Tumor Growth and in Preclinical Drug Testing. Chen T, Zhang G, Williams D Jr., Hargreaves R, Sur C, Bednar B. Poster Session 120: Molecular Imaging in the Drug Discovery Process.

(518) Assessment of Angiogenesis in Different Breast Cancer Xenografts Using a New Optical Contrast Agent (NIR96010). Wall A, Licha K, Schirner M, von Walbrunn A, Persigehl T, Matuszewski L, Heindel W, Bremer C. Poster Session 121: Optical Technologies.

(519) Fluorescence Molecular Tomography of Angiogenesis and Receptor Expression. Montet X, Ntziachristos V, Grimm J, Weissleder R. Poster Session 121: Optical Technologies.

(523) 3D Mapping of Skin Autofluorescence in Whole Animals. Zacharakis G, Garofalakis A, Meyer H, Mamalaki C, Kioussis D, Economou E, Ntziachristos V, Ripoll J. Poster Session 121: Optical Technologies.

(524) In Vivo Visualization of GFP Expressing Lung Tumors in Intact Animals Using Fluorescence Tomography. Zacharakis G, Molins A, Kambara H, Ripoll J, Saeki Y, Weissleder R, Ntziachristos V. Poster Session 121: Optical Technologies.

(527) Near-Infrared Assessment of Skeletal Turnover by Fluorescence Molecular Tomography. Kozloff K, Weissleder R, Mahmood U. Poster Session 121: Optical Technologies.

(528) Complete Projection Fluorescence Molecular Tomography Using Early Photons. Turner G, Zacharakis G, Soubret A, Ripoll J, Ntziachristos V. Poster Session 121: Optical Technologies.

(529) Accurate Quantification and Localization of Fluorescent Imaging Probes In Vivo Using Fluorescent Molecular Tomographic Imaging. Kossodo S, Rajopadhye M, Alaoui H, Groves K, Carlson S, Smith N, Erickson C, Yared W. Poster Session 121: Optical Technologies.

(534) A Radiative Transfer Model For Non-Contact Fluorescence Molecular Tomography. Klose A. Poster Session 121: Optical Technologies.

(536) Fluorescence Molecular Tomography in the Presence of Background Fluorescence Heterogeneity. Soubret A, Windsor S, Dunham J, Turner G, Ntziachristos V. Poster Session 121: Optical Technologies.

Contact

Kirtland G. Poss, President and CEO
VisEn Medical, Inc.
781-932-6875 x301