Berlex, HPG Sign a Two-Year Sole Source Renewal Agreement for Magnevist(R) Magnetic Resonance Contrast Media
MONTVILLE, N.J., Aug. 4 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Berlex, Inc., a U.S. affiliate of Schering AG, Germany (NYSE: SHR; FSE: SCH), today announced that the company has been awarded a two-year contract renewal by the healthcare group purchasing organization, HealthTrust Purchasing Group (HPG), to provide Magnevist(R) (gadopentetate dimeglumine) Injection contrast media for use in Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) to members of the HPG network.
HPG is a group purchasing organization that supports not-for-profit and for-profit acute care hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, alternate care sites and physician practices. HPG is committed to obtaining the best price for clinically-recommended products and ensuring their timely delivery to the patients, physicians and clinicians they serve.
The new agreement is a two-year renewal of the current contract and is a sole source contract for Magnevist, the leading contrast media for use in enhanced MRI.
“We are pleased that HPG is continuing its relationship with Berlex. We value our association with HPG, and consider the renewal of our agreement a testament to the quality of products we offer and to the outstanding customer service our sales force strives to provide to the HPG membership and their patient community,” said Robert Milos, Vice President and General Manager, Diagnostic Imaging, Berlex.
ABOUT MAGNEVIST
Magnevist is the leading MRI contrast agent with the broadest range of adult and pediatric clinical indications. Magnevist was invented by a small group of researchers at Berlex’s parent company in Germany. The product received FDA approval in 1988, and extended the power of MRI to help diagnose disease. Since its introduction, Magnevist has been used in more than 60 million procedures worldwide.
As with all paramagnetic agents, caution should be exercised in patients with deoxygenated sickle erythrocytes and renal insufficiency with or without hepatic impairment. As with all contrast media, the possibility of a reaction, including serious, life-threatening, fatal, anaphylactoid or cardiovascular reactions or other idiosyncratic reactions should always be considered. As with various other injectable products, cases of phlebitis and thrombophlebitis have been reported.
Caution must be used in patients with a predisposition to the development of thrombotic syndromes, since, in very rare cases, thrombosis with fasciitis and surgical intervention of the dosed limb have been reported. Safety and efficacy in children under the age of 2 years have not been established.
ABOUT BERLEX
Committed to developing novel diagnostics and therapeutics that address unmet medical needs, Berlex, Inc., a U.S. affiliate of Schering AG, Germany (NYSE: SHR; FSE: SCH), develops and markets diagnostic imaging agents, treatments in the areas of female healthcare and specialized therapeutics for life-threatening and disabling diseases in the fields of the central nervous system, oncology and gastroenterology. Berlex has business operations in New Jersey, California and Washington. For more information, please visit http://www.berlex.com/.
Certain statements in this press release that are neither reported financial results nor other historical information are forward-looking statements, including but not limited to, statements that are predictions of or indicate future events, trends, plans or objectives. Undue reliance should not be placed on such statements because, by their nature, they are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties and can be affected by other factors that could cause actual results and Berlex’s plans and objectives to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements. Berlex, Inc. undertakes no obligation to update publicly or revise any of these forward-looking statements, whether to reflect new information or future events or circumstances or otherwise.
Berlex, Inc.
CONTACT: Heather Levis, Public Relations, Berlex, +1-973-487-2797, orheather_levis@berlex.com; or Joanne Marion, Investor Relations, ScheringBerlin, Inc., +1-973-487-2164, joanne_marion@berlex.com
Web site: http://www.berlex.com/