Bracco signs microbubbles licensing agreement with ImaRx

Bracco International has announced the signing of a cross-license agreement with ImaRx Therapeutics regarding the use of ultrasound and microbubbles used in targeted therapeutic and diagnostic applications.

According to the terms of the agreement, Bracco Imagining – an affiliate of Bracco International – has been granted global, non-exclusive and royalty-free rights to a number of patents and patent applications from ImaRx.

These patents concern the use of microbubble compositions used in diagnostic imaging applications.

In return, Bracco Imaging has given ImaRx similar rights to its own microbubble compositions.

Maurizio Denaro, group vice-president of research and development at Bracco Imaging, said: “This agreement enables Bracco to expand our ongoing efforts in creating products for targeted diagnostic imaging applications.”

He added that the company was pleased to have reached an agreement that is helpful to both companies regarding their patent portfolios in this field.

ImaRx reports that it will gain an expanded product portfolio as a result of this agreement, while noting the expansion of diagnostic imaging work by Bracco into areas relating to ImaRx patents that are nevertheless outside its current plans for strategic development.

In 2006, Bracco sold its shareholding in Esaote in order to better focus its efforts on the development of diagnostic and targeted therapy solutions.