Blood clots are a major underlying cause of the morbidity and mortality of several diseases, including stroke, heart attacks, deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, and atrial fibrillation. Blood clots are responsible for approximately 80% of the 700,000 strokes that occur annually in the United States. A minimally-invasive method of detecting clots would fulfill an enormous unmet clinical need.

EP-2104R is an imaging pharmaceutical under development, designed to meet that need, enabling detection of blood clots using MRI. It is the first targeted high-resolution technique designed to visualize blood clots directly. EPIX Pharmaceuticals researchers developed it by creating a new molecular complex that binds specifically to fibrin, a protein present in all blood clots. The process involved five years of research and the screening of millions of targeted molecules. Clinical trials of EP-2104R began in summer 2004.

Pre-clinical studies have shown promise for using MRI with EP-2104R for the early detection of blood clots in arteries and veins throughout the body. EP-2104R could prove to be an effective tool in risk assessment and evaluation of therapeutic options.