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Philips Multi-center Coronary MRA clinical trial shows promise for non-invasive coronary angiography

Philips Medical Systems January 31, 2002

The New England Journal of Medicine on 27 December 2001 published an article describing the multi-center trial in detail. The results represent a major breakthrough in the identification of patients with suspected coronary artery disease in a non invasive way, avoiding the use of contrast reagents, and patient exposure to ionizing radiation.

Coronary artery disease is the main cause of death in the western world. The American Heart Association states that "In 90 per cent of adult sudden death victims, two or more major coronary arteries are narrowed by atherosclerosis." Given that roughly 41 per cent of all men and women die of coronary disease this advance in coronary screening is likely to have a real long lasting impact on the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular diseases in general.

Partially supported by Philips Medical Systems and the American Heart Association (AHA), Dallas, TX, the multi-center trial involved 109 patients and was conducted by members of the Philips Cardiovascular MR Research Network. Believed to be the first coronary MRA trial of its kind in the world, the trial involved seven prestigious medical institutions in six different countries.

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The trial showed that diagnostic results with 3D coronary MR angiography are comparable to those with conventional x-ray angiography. Unsurprising as this may seem, the results represent a major breakthrough in the identification of patients with suspected coronary artery disease.

“This new technology requires no needles, no exposure to contrast dye, and no exposure to radiation,” according to the study's principal investigator Warren J. Manning, M.D., co-director of the Cardiac MR Center at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Associate Professor of Medicine and Radiology at Harvard Medical School. By using a powerful magnet and radio waves to provide images of the heart’s arteries, MRA eliminates the discomfort and potential complications of an invasive x-ray procedure that detects artery blockages by injecting an iodinated contrast dye into the blood vessels using a catheter inserted in the groin or arm. As a result, the patient’s risk of complications, including infection and bleeding, is eliminated, and the level of comfort is greatly improved, with the time spent in the hospital reduced from possibly days to as little as 45 minutes. Costs are also substantially reduced.

The trial also underscores Philips’ pioneering work in cardiology, highlighting the strong co-operation between the company and the members of its Cardiovascular MR Research Network, the largest and most active group of its kind in the world.

A spokesperson for Philips, Mr. Joe Nagle, business segment director for Cardiac MRI, said, “We are very satisfied with the results of the trial. Coronary MR angiography shows great promise as a method for safe and accurate coronary artery imaging without exposure to potentially harmful x-rays. One of the nice things about these results is that almost all hospitals equipped with a modern Philips MR scanner are capable of adopting this technique.”

In addition to the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, other leading medical institutions participating in the multi-center trial included:

Aarhus University Hospital, Skejby Sygehus, Denmark
St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital/Texas Heart Institute, Houston, TX, USA
Yorkshire Heart Centre, Leeds General Infirmary, UK
German Heart Institute, Berlin, Germany
Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
University Hospital and ETH, Zürich, Switzerland
Cologne University Hospital, Cologne, Germany.

A second, follow-up trial is planned during 2002, details of which will be announced in due course.

Specific details of methodology and findings are published in the paper Comparison of Three-dimensional Coronary Magnetic Resonance Angiography with x-ray Angiography for Detection of Proximal and Mid-Coronary Artery Stenoses, authored by Warren J. Manning, et al, and presented at the American Heart Association annual meeting in Anaheim, CA, from 11 to 14 November and at the European Society of Cardiology in August 2001. The article Coronary Magnetic Resonance Angiography for the Detection of Coronary Stenoses, by the same authors, was published on 27 December 2001 in Volume 345:1863-1869, Number 26, of The New England Journal of Medicine.

About Philips Medical Systems:
With the recent acquisitions of Marconi Medical Systems, Agilent’s Healthcare Solutions Group, ADAC Laboratories and ATL Ultrasound, Philips Medical Systems is firmly established as the global number one or two player in most of its markets and businesses. Philips’ portfolio includes x-ray, ultrasound, magnetic resonance, computed tomography, nuclear medicine and PET, patient monitoring, information management and resuscitation products, as well as a range of services which include asset management, training and education, business consultancy, financial services and e-care business services.

Philips Medical Systems has pro forma sales of Euro 6.5 billion, is represented in more than 100 countries and employs over 22,000 people. All products are backed by Philips’ worldwide network of research and development and sales and service organizations. Philips Medical Systems is part of Royal Philips Electronics, one of the world’s largest electronics companies. Additional information can be found at www.medical.philips.com

For further information please contact:

Anne Grewer, Philips Medical Systems
Tel: +31 40 27 62844, Fax: +31 40 27 62626, e-mail: anne.grewer@philips.com

Janet Collins, Philips Medical Systems North America
Tel: +1 425 482 8547, e-mail: Janet.Collins@philips.com

Royal Philips Electronics of the Netherlands is one of the world's biggest electronics companies and Europe's largest, with sales of EUR 37.9 billion in 2000. It is a global leader in color television sets, lighting, electric shavers, medical diagnostic imaging and patient monitoring, and one-chip TV products. Its 192,000 employees in more than 60 countries are active in the areas of lighting, consumer electronics, domestic appliances, components, semiconductors, and medical systems. Philips is quoted on the NYSE (symbol: PHG), London, Frankfurt, Amsterdam and other stock exchanges. News from Philips is located at www.news.philips.com.

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