Medical Imaging and Technology Alliance Announces Inclusion of Radiopharmaceutical Industry in Membership

The Medical Imaging & Technology Alliance (MITA) announced today that it has expanded its membership to include the radiopharmaceutical industry. These companies innovate, develop, manufacture and distribute the drugs used in conjunction with advanced nuclear medicine imaging technologies such as positron emission tomography (PET).

Radiopharmaceuticals are the medical isotopes needed to obtain images of the physiologic processes underlying coronary artery disease, many cancers and neurological disorders. They produce the high quality medical images that have become the standard of care for the detection and management of disease.

“As MITA continues to expand and grow, we are excited to include radiopharmaceutical manufacturers in our Association,” said Dave Fisher, Executive Director of MITA. “MITA saw an opportunity to combine both halves of nuclear medicine, the drugs and devices that work together to provide physicians with the images they need to diagnose and treat disease.  These new members are an important addition to the MITA family.”

The radiopharmaceutical industry will work with established equipment member companies within MITA to form the “PET Working Group.” This new team will focus on four priorities:

1)       Improving the regulatory environment for the approval of imaging agents;

2)       Expanding public insurance coverage of them to ensure that patients have access to these tests;

3)       Conducting research to broaden the evidentiary base of cost-effectiveness for PET imaging; and

4)       Educating the medical community about the appropriate use and value of these techniques.

 Over the last 8 months, MITA membership has grown by 20 percent. The addition of the radiopharmaceutical community has the potential to equal that expansion and further demonstrates our commitment to the medical imaging industry.