Nycomed Imaging As

Amersham Health As

Jorunn Undheim Braenden

Anne Kjersti Fahlvik

Per Helge Gulliksen

Marit Swaerd-Nordmo

Jo Klaveness

Harald Dugstad

P&aring;l Rongved

Roald Skurtveit

This invention relates to a freeze-dried vesicle containing ultrasound contrast agent containing a freeze-drying stabilizer and thermally stable at temperatures in excess of 20&deg; C.

Thermally stabilized contrast agent

Microbubble dispersions stabilised by phospholipids predominantly comprising molecules which individually have an overall net charge exhibit advantageous stability, rendering them useful both as efficacious contrast agents per se and as intermediates in the preparation of contrast agents wherein the phospholipids are crosslinked or polymerised. An improved process for preparing microbubble-containing contrast agents is also disclosed, this comprising lyophilising an aqueous dispersion of gas microbubbles stabilised by one or more membrane-forming lipids to yield a dried product which may be reconstituted in an injectable carrier liquid to generate a microbubble-containing contrast agent.

Method of making lyophilized microbubble compositions useful as contrast agents

This invention relates to a freeze-dried vesicle containing ultrasound contrast agent containing a freeze-drying stabilizer and thermally stable at temperatures in excess of 20.degree. C.

Thermally stabilized ultrasound contrast agent

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Oslo, Norway

Jorunn Undheim Braenden