Reveal Pharmaceuticals has dosed its first subjects in a phase I clinical trial of a gadolinium-free MRI contrast agent called RVP-001.
Gadolinium used in contrast-enhanced MRI scans can cause heavy metal build-up in patients and water pollution, the company said. RVP-001 uses manganese rather than gadolinium, and it was developed by Peter Caravan, PhD, and Eric Gale, PhD, of Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH).
The trial is funded by the National Cancer Institute and will test the safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics of the agent, according to Reveal.
