In order to broaden its portfolio in imaging and cardiovascular medicine, Bayer has agreed to purchase two experimental diagnostic imaging agents from Attralus. The Bayer-Attralus diagnostic tracers deal’s financial details were not made public.
Two imaging tracers, AT-01 and AT-05, which are intended to aid in the diagnosis of both systemic and cardiac amyloidosis, are included in the transaction. The first pan-amyloid imaging agent to be breakthrough-designated for cardiac amyloidosis by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is AT-01, a PET tracer that is presently undergoing phase 3 trials. Phase 1 development is underway for the SPECT tracer AT-05.
Amyloid protein deposits in the heart cause cardiac amyloidosis, a rare disorder that is usually discovered too late. While the underlying amyloid disease may go undiagnosed for a long time, patients frequently exhibit heart failure symptoms. Multiple tests, such as blood analysis, echocardiograms, electrocardiograms, cardiac MRI scans, and specialized tracer-based imaging, are commonly used in existing diagnostic pathways.
“Most patients continue to remain undiagnosed or are diagnosed too late in their disease progression,” said Glen Firestone, president of Attralus. He said the company’s pan-amyloid imaging agents could “enable earlier diagnosis and treatment, leading to improved patient outcomes.”
Bayer estimates the global market for radio-diagnostic tracers was valued at about $3 billion in 2024 and expects strong growth in the coming years. The Bayer-Attralus diagnostic tracers deal marks the company’s formal entry into the tracer development space.
“This acquisition marks our entry into diagnostic tracers,” said Nelson Ambrogio, president of radiology at Bayer.
“Leveraging our expertise in medical imaging—including our pipeline and portfolio in advanced fluid delivery devices for nuclear medicine—it supports our ambition to expand in the growing field of molecular imaging,” he added.
Bayer’s current imaging portfolio includes contrast agents for CT and other imaging modalities, along with cardiovascular injection systems such as the Medrad Mark 7 Arterion, a single-head injector used in X-ray angiograp
