PET developer Compañía Mexicana de Radiología (CMR) Naviscan has acquired certain assets and intellectual property from molecular breast imaging (MBI) developer Gamma Medica.
The deal includes Gamma Medica's LumaGem MBI scanner, which is expected to complement CMR Naviscan's PET portfolio, which includes the Solo II breast PET imaging system and Stereo Navigator PET-guided biopsy device for the diagnosis and care of breast cancer patients. Gamma Medica recently expanded its U.S. market reach by partnering with medical imaging equipment providers Medical Imaging and Capital X-Ray to bring MBI scanners to certain states.
"With the addition of this molecular breast imaging technology, we are now able to offer healthcare providers a more comprehensive portfolio of screening and problem-solving tools for the care of breast cancer patients, including secondary screening of dense breasts, image-guided biopsy, surgical planning, and treatment monitoring," said Tonatiuh Monroy, CMR Naviscan's president, in a press release.
Gamma Medica has had an eventful history. The company completed Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization in 2013 with the separate sales of its MBI and preclinical imaging business segments to two buyers. LumaGem was sold to Imaging Acquisition, an entity controlled by healthcare growth equity firm Psilos Group Managers, for $3.1 million. The preclinical business was acquired by Northridge Trimodality Imaging of Northridge, CA, for $2.5 million.
Psilos, a Gamma Medica investor, sought to continue the commercialization strategy for LumaGem and relaunch the company. The new Gamma Medica set its sights on upgrading the LumaGem device and its MBI technology, according to Jim Calandra, then-president and CEO of Gamma Medica, in a 2014 interview with AuntMinnie.com.
Naviscan had been working on a positron emission mammography (PEM) system until 2013 when CMR acquired certain assets of the company including intellectual property and the Naviscan trademark. CMR has been a developer and manufacturer of diagnostic imaging equipment and healthcare IT systems for more than 25 years. With the Naviscan acquisition, the new entity established a U.S.-based corporation in Carlsbad, CA.
