Salt Lake City, UT-based biotech company Microvascular Therapeutics said that its echocardiography contrast agent MVT-100 (CardiSon) performed well in a phase II clinical trial.
In the study, 16 subjects received injections of either the predicate agent Perflutren or CardiSon at four different dose levels prior to echocardiographic imaging, which was performed at three different time-points after injection. Three cardiologists, blinded to which agent was administered, then evaluated the images based on visualizing the borders of the left ventricle of the heart and the presence or absence of shadowing.
“CardiSon provided statistically significant better contrast enhancement on the study as well as minimal shadowing. The safety and laboratory parameters from the study indicated that both CardiSon and Perflutren were safe,” said one of the study leads, Elizabeth Krupinski, PhD, of Emory University, in a news release.
The study suggests that CardiSon will provide contrast over a wide range of doses and help avoid shadowing, which can be seen with some agents at higher doses, added the company’s founder and chief executive officer, Evan Unger, MD.
![Examples of ultrasound findings and techniques. (A) Images in a 39-year-old male patient with a mass in the left thigh. The mass is heterogeneous on the B-mode US image (compared with the patient in D) and showed increased microvascularity (superb microvascular imaging [SMI]) and shear-wave elastography (SWE) values. Undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma was diagnosed at biopsy (with pleomorphic rhabdomyosarcoma in surgical specimen). (B) Images in an 18-year-old male patient with a mass in the left leg. The mass is hypoechoic on the B-mode image, with no other findings suggestive of malignancy. The lesion is in contact with the cortex of the tibia, which is slightly irregular. CT revealed a doubtful anteromedial tibial erosion. The microvascular study demonstrated high vascularization, suggestive of malignancy. Periosteal Ewing sarcoma was diagnosed with both histologic and immunohistochemical confirmation. (C) Images in a 69-year-old female patient with a lump growing on the outside of the left leg. Multiple SWE examinations were performed (please note the high values obtained in the measurements, whereas the color map highlights the stiffness relative to adjacent tissues). SMI showed areas of increased vascularization to target for sampling. Undifferentiated spindle cell sarcoma was diagnosed at biopsy, with residual leiomyosarcoma in the surgical specimen after neoadjuvant therapy. (D) Images in a 56-year-old female patient with a mass in the right thigh. The mass is heterogeneous at both B-mode ultrasound (similar to patient A) and MRI (coronal T2-weighted spectral attenuated inversion recovery [SPAIR]; T1-weighted pre-contrast and postcontrast imaging), which even shows uptake after the administration of paramagnetic contrast material, which is traditionally suggestive of malignancy. Low values at SMI and elastography are suggestive of benignity. Spindle cell lipoma was diagnosed at biopsy, with atypical spindle cell lipomatous tumor in the surgical specimen.](https://img.auntminnie.com/mindful/smg/workspaces/default/uploads/2026/08/images-radiol250278fig2.APCFLSvX6p.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&dpr=2&fit=crop&h=167&q=70&w=250)
