Bracco Affirms ASNC Position Statement Elevating Cardiac PET with Myocardial Blood Flow as Preferred Standard for Coronary Artery Disease

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Apr 13, 2026, 07:30 ET

Guidance validates the comprehensive approach Bracco has advanced for more than three decades

NEEDHAM, Mass., April 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Bracco, the market leader in diagnostic imaging and the pioneer in cardiac positron emission tomography (PET) for more than three decades, today affirmed its strong support of the newly published American Society of Nuclear Cardiology (ASNC) Position Statement recommending cardiac PET myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) with myocardial blood flow (MBF) quantification as the preferred modality for the evaluation of coronary artery disease (CAD) in all patients who meet criteria for MPI.

The updated ASNC guidance marks a defining moment in cardiovascular imaging. The statement reflects a growing body of clinical evidence showing that, when compared to the alternative modality, SPECT imaging, cardiac PET with blood flow quantification can more accurately detect heart disease, better assess patient risk, and identify complex or hard-to-diagnose cases, including in patients with obesity or disease affecting smaller blood vessels. There are no clinical scenarios or patient subgroups in which the use of PET MPI should be excluded, given its diagnostic accuracy, risk stratification, and unique quantitative capabilities.¹

Bracco has championed this comprehensive approach since 1989 and has, since then, largely driven the adoption of the modality by lowering barriers to entry, increased access for patients and providers, driven appropriate and stable reimbursement and invested in the clinical education of providers. Its cardiac PET portfolio combines the standard of care, Cardiogen-82® (Rubidium Rb 82 generator) for myocardial perfusion imaging, with HeartSee^™, an advanced myocardial blood flow platform that generates easy-to-interpret CFC maps showing regional and global coronary defects and helping physicians assess disease severity alongside traditional diagnostic data.

"The strong ASNC recommendation for cardiac PET with absolute blood flow across all patient types is one more reason to finally change our behavior in 2026 when it comes to diagnosing coronary artery disease," said Nils Johnson, MD, interventional cardiologist at Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center and professor at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston. "Cardiac PET has long been the preferred choice for modern myocardial perfusion imaging."

"As the global leader in cardiac PET imaging, Bracco enthusiastically supports the ASNC position statement declaring PET MPI with myocardial blood flow as the preferred modality for diagnosing coronary artery disease," said Fulvio Renoldi Bracco, CEO of Bracco Imaging S.p.A. "This definitive guidance validates the comprehensive approach we have led for decades — integrating advanced PET imaging with quantitative blood flow assessment to deliver more accurate diagnoses and better outcomes for patients worldwide."

About Bracco Imaging
Bracco Imaging is a global leader in diagnostic imaging, dedicated to improving people's lives by shaping the future of prevention and precision medicine. With a strong passion for innovation, the company develops and provides a broad portfolio of pharmaceutical products for diagnostic imaging: contrast agents for X-ray, Computed Tomography (CT), and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), as well microbubbles for Contrast Enhanced Ultrasound (CEUS), and Molecular Imaging through radioactive tracers and novel PET imaging agents, alongside specialized medical devices and related services.

The company is committed to advancing radiology by sharing knowledge to cultivate future thought leaders, linking today's practice with tomorrow's progress. Since 1927, Bracco Imaging has grown to more than 3,800 employees and now supports patients and radiology professionals in over 100 countries.

Discover Bracco Imaging at www.bracco.com.

Please see Important Safety Information below.

Indications and Usage for CARDIOGEN-82® (Rubidium Rb 82 Generator)

CARDIOGEN-82® (Rubidium Rb 82 Generator) is a closed system used to produce rubidium Rb 82 chloride injection for intravenous administration. Rubidium Rb 82 chloride injection is a radioactive diagnostic agent indicated for Positron Emission Tomography (PET) imaging of the myocardium under rest or pharmacologic stress conditions to evaluate regional myocardial perfusion in adult patients with suspected or existing coronary artery disease.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION:

WARNING: HIGH LEVEL RADIATION EXPOSURE WITH USE OF INCORRECT ELUENT AND FAILURE TO FOLLOWTHE ELUATE TESTING PROTOCOL

Please see full prescribing information for complete boxed warning

High Level Radiation Exposure with Use of Incorrect Eluent

Using the incorrect eluent can cause high Strontium (Sr) 82 and Sr 85 breakthrough levels (5.1)

Use only additive-free 0.9%Sodium Chloride Injection USP to elute the generator (2.5)
Immediately stop the patient infusion and permanently discontinue the use of the affected CARDIOGEN-82 generator if the incorrect solution is used to elute the generator (4)
Evaluate the patient's radiation absorbed dose and monitor for the effects of radiation to critical organs such as bone marrow (2.10)

Excess Radiation Exposure with Failure to Follow the Eluate Testing Protocol

Excess radiation exposure occurs when the levels of Sr 82 or Sr 85 in the rubidium Rb 82 chloride injection exceed limits. (5.2)

Record eluate volume, including waste and test volumes. (2.5)
Strictly adhere to the generator eluate testing protocol (2.6, 2.7)
Stop using the generator if it reaches any of its Expiration Limits (2.8)

Please see full Prescribing Information for CARDIOGEN-82 (Rubidium Rb 82 Generator) including boxed WARNING at https://www.bracco.com/us-en-2020-11-24-spc-cardiogen-82.

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

CARDIOGEN-82 is manufactured for Bracco Diagnostics Inc., Monroe Township, NJ 08831, by GE Healthcare, Medi-Physics, Inc., South Plainfield, NJ 07080.

CARDIOGEN-82 is a registered trademark of Bracco Diagnostics Inc.

For additional information about Bracco's products, and for full prescribing information, please visit https://www.bracco.com/en-us/nuclear-medicine.

INDICATIONS FOR USE
HeartSee^™ Software for cardiac positron emission tomography (PET) is indicated for determining regional and global absolute rest and stress myocardial perfusion in cc/min/g, Coronary Flow Reserve and their combination into the Coronary Flow Capacity (CFC) Map in patients with suspected or known coronary artery disease (CAD) in order to assist clinical interpretation of PET perfusion images by quantification of their severity.

HeartSee^™ is intended for use by trained professionals such as nuclear technicians, nuclear medicine or nuclear cardiology physicians, or cardiologists with appropriate training and certification. The clinician remains ultimately responsible for the final assessment and diagnosis based on standard practices, clinical judgment and interpretation of PET images or quantitative data.

HEARTSEE is a trademark of The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston on behalf of the Board of Regents of The University of Texas System, and used under a license by Bracco Diagnostics Inc.

Microsoft and Windows are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.

For additional information about Bracco's products, and for full prescribing information, please visit https://www.bracco.com/en-us/nuclear-medicine.

Media Contact:

Bracco Press Contact:
Monica Planinsek
Corporate Communications Manager, Blue Earth Diagnostics, Inc.
(207) 838-3863
[email protected]

Reference
¹ Timothy M. Bateman, Mouaz H. Al-Mallah, Talal S. Alnabelsi, Parthiban Arumugam, Dennis A. Calnon, Panithaya Chareonthaitawee, Marcelo Di Carli, Gary V. Heller, Prem Soman, Ahmed Abuzaid, Rob S. Beanlands, Sanjay Divakaran, Michael T. Osborne, Krishna K. Patel, Lawrence M. Phillips, Rupa M. Sanghani, Clinical indications for positron emission tomography myocardial perfusion imaging and myocardial blood flow quantification: An American Society of Nuclear Cardiology position statement, Journal of Nuclear Cardiology, 2025, 102619, ISSN 1071-3581, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nuclcard.2025.102619. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1071358125004933)

US-CG-2600002 3.26

SOURCE Bracco Group