GE HealthCare Launches Flyrcado, Revolutionary PET Imaging Agent for Coronary Artery Disease

Key Insights

• GE HealthCare has successfully administered the first doses of Flyrcado, an FDA-approved PET imaging agent for coronary artery disease detection, at Houston Methodist Hospital.
• Flyrcado features a groundbreaking 109-minute half-life, eliminating the need for on-site production and enabling wider distribution to imaging centers across the United States.
• The innovative cardiac PET agent offers superior diagnostic efficacy compared to traditional SPECT MPI, with full commercialization expected by Q2 2025.

GE HealthCare has achieved a significant milestone in cardiac imaging with the first successful patient doses of Flyrcado (flurpiridaz F 18 injection) administered at Houston Methodist Hospital. This breakthrough positron emission tomography (PET) myocardial perfusion imaging agent represents a major advance in the detection of coronary artery disease (CAD).

Advanced Features and Clinical Benefits

The FDA-approved Flyrcado distinguishes itself with superior diagnostic capabilities compared to single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) MPI, currently the standard procedure in nuclear cardiology. Its revolutionary 109-minute half-life significantly surpasses existing PET MPI tracers, enabling broader accessibility and simplified logistics for healthcare facilities.

Dr. Mouaz Al-Mallah, Director of Cardiac PET at Houston Methodist Hospital, emphasized the transformative potential of Flyrcado: "Flyrcado opens new frontiers for cardiac PET with a significantly longer half-life than existing PET MPI tracers. The longer half-life eliminates the need for onsite tracer manufacturing so it can be ordered as a ready-to-use unit dose."

Expanding Access to Advanced Cardiac Imaging

The initial rollout of Flyrcado includes early adopter imaging centers nationwide, with UW Health University Hospital in Wisconsin joining Houston Methodist Hospital in this pioneering phase. A key advantage of the new agent is its compatibility with exercise stress testing, a feature previously unavailable with cardiac PET tracers.

Strategic Implementation and Future Outlook

GE HealthCare has developed a comprehensive distribution strategy, partnering with contract manufacturing organizations (CMOs) to ensure broad regional access. The company projects reaching nearly all existing cardiac PET users by the end of 2025, with full commercialization anticipated in the second quarter of that year.

The elimination of on-site tracer production and generator maintenance requirements represents a significant operational advantage for healthcare facilities. This streamlined approach is expected to make PET MPI more accessible to both clinicians and patients, potentially improving the standard of care in cardiac imaging.