Macrocyclics is dedicated to developing new ligands and complexes for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and nuclear medicine applications. Our research in MRI is focused on the design, synthesis and characterization of novel MRI agents for functional and molecular imaging. One of our products, Gd [DOTA 4AmP] (Catalog # M-400) has a unique pH sensitive water proton relaxivity and is used to measure the extracellular pH in vivo.

Other lanthanide chelates in development include paramagnetic chemical exchange saturation transfer (PARACEST) agents. This new class of MRI contrast agents offers improved sensitivity and will likely have a great impact on functional MRI. Scientists at Macrocyclics employ their knowledge of inorganic, nuclear and synthetic organic chemistry to developing novel bifunctional chelators (BFCs) that can link a paramagnetic or radioactive metal ion to a bio-targeting molecule. Macrocyclics is also developing new technology that will allow insertion of the metal ion binding ligand, DOTA, into any position within a peptide sequence using standard FMOC chemistry.

Macrocyclics pursues funding from the National Institutes of Health to assist us in the development of our technologies. Macrocyclics was awarded a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant from the National Cancer Institute in July 2002. This grant provides us the funds to study the MRI agents that can report the extracellular pH of tumors in vivo such as Gd [DOTA 4AmP].

We currently have several SBIR applications pending review by the National Institutes of Health. Macrocyclics will continue to pursue other grants. We also welcome any collaboration partners. If you would like to discuss a potential SBIR collaboration with us, please contact us at 927-250-2248 or info@macrocyclics.com. We are always open to new ideas.