Leading Imaging Companies Form Product Consortium

Leading Imaging Companies Form Product Consortium
'Imaging Choice Consortium' Will Provide Customers Added Value and Purchasing
Flexibility 


NEW YORK, Sept. 27  /PRNewswire/ -- Four leading companies in the radiology and
radiopharmaceutical business today announced an innovative alliance that will
combine a wide array of products in one purchasing portfolio.  Formation of the
Imaging Choice Consortium, involving Berlex, a U.S. affiliate of Schering AG,
Bracco Diagnostics Inc., E-Z-EM, Inc., and PETNET Solutions, a subsidiary of
CTI Molecular Imaging, Inc., is a response to market demands, as well as to
healthcare professionals seeking broader, more inclusive flexibility in the
selection and purchase of imaging products and services.

The Imaging Choice Consortium is intended to increase the reach of the member
companies' key brands and leverage the competitive value of choice-based
purchasing.  In creating this alliance, the Imaging Choice Consortium will
improve purchasing flexibility and accessibility to imaging products while
enhancing contract competitiveness and improving the total value for
purchasers.  Clinicians and patients will benefit from a broadened ability to
select products at their discretion.  Under the current standard of contract
purchasing, customers often must choose between leading products, in effect,
restricting clinicians' product choices to limited brands.

Each Imaging Choice Consortium company is a market leader in at least one
category of imaging agents.  The Consortium will unite the broad portfolios of
the companies' marketed products in the areas of magnetic resonance imaging
(MRI), X-ray, computed tomography (CT), and radiopharmacy, including positron
emission tomography (PET). Each company brings a strong research and
development focus to the program.

"Berlex' participation in this unique customer program underscores our strong
commitment for continuous improvements in customer service and patient care,"
said Robert Milos, Vice President and General Manager of Berlex Imaging.  "By
working together with other leading imaging companies, Berlex will bring clear
additional value and choice to its customers, for the benefit of their
patients, by providing access to a broad portfolio of products."

"The industry paradigm is shifting, in that customers recognize total value
relies on choice, diversity, and having access to a full breadth of diagnostic
imaging and radiopharmaceutical resources that meet their specific needs and
challenges," said Carlo Medici, President and Chief Executive Officer for
Princeton, New Jersey-based Bracco Diagnostics Inc.  "The Imaging Choice
Consortium is a landmark initiative, and Bracco Diagnostics is proud to join in
this effort to make our industry more customer-centric."

"E-Z-EM has been a leading provider of contrast products for GI imaging for
over 40 years, and has a proud tradition of improving patient care through
innovation," said Anthony A. Lombardo, President and CEO of E-Z-EM, Inc. "We
believe the Imaging Choice Consortium represents an important advance in
customer choice, and are pleased to join in bringing this program to our
customers and their patients."

"PETNET Solutions is driven by the objective of helping our healthcare clients
achieve success.  We are pleased to be a part of the Imaging Choice Consortium
because it provides our customers the convenience of a broad array of imaging
products and the scale economies that will reduce their radiology costs," said
Joe Sardano, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing for CTI Molecular
Imaging.

Under the program agreement, each company will continue to determine
independently the pricing, discounting, and other terms it chooses to offer to
any customer.  Customers can receive additional incentives over and above the
individual product pricing based on a variety of factors.

About the Participants

A pioneer, and for many years, one of the leaders in the imaging market, Berlex
has introduced a broad range of imaging agents, including the world's first
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) agent and current market leader. Additionally,
in December 2003, its investigational contrast agent for Magnetic Resonance
Angiography (MRA), MS-325, was submitted for approval in the United States by
Berlex' development partner EPIX Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Upon approval, MS-325
would be the first MR blood pool contrast agent for vascular imaging.

Committed to addressing unmet medical needs, Berlex, a U.S. affiliate of
Schering AG, Germany (NYSE:SHR), develops and markets diagnostic imaging
agents, treatments in the areas of female health care and dermatology, as well
as specialized therapeutics for life-threatening and disabling diseases in the
fields of the central nervous system, oncology, and gastroenterology.  Berlex
has business operations in New Jersey, California, and Washington. For more
information, please visit http://www.berlex.com/.

Bracco Diagnostics Inc. is a member of the Bracco Group, a highly innovative
healthcare company, and a world leader in global integrated solutions for
diagnostic imaging with 70 years of experience.  Headquartered in Milan, Italy,
the Bracco Group consists of six fully-owned operations and two joint ventures
in Europe, Asia, and the United States.  Bracco Diagnostics, located in
Princeton, New Jersey, is responsible for developing new clinical agents,
filing them with regulatory agencies, and selling and marketing all Bracco
products in the U.S.  For further information on the Bracco Group visit
http://www.bracco.com/.

E-Z-EM, Inc (AMEX:EZM) is a leading manufacturer of contrast agents for
gastrointestinal radiology.  The Company has developed the only CT injector on
the market that can help detect contrast extravasation, the EmpowerCT(R) with
patented EDA(TM) technology; it also offers a complete product set for the
virtual colonoscopy practitioner.  This product line consists of virtual
colonoscopy hardware, software, nutritional prep kits and bowel cleaners,
tagging agents and a carbon dioxide colon insufflation system.   For more
information, please visit http://www.ezem.com/.

CTI Molecular Imaging, Inc. (NASDAQ:CTMI) is a leading supplier of products and
services for positron emission tomography (PET), a diagnostic imaging
technology used in the detection and treatment of cancer, cardiac disease and
neurological disorders.  Additional information is available at:
http://www.ctimi.com/. 

DATASOURCE: Imaging Choice Consortium



CONTACT:  Media - Marcy Funk of Berlex, [phone]; Kirk Deeter of

Bracco, [phone], Tom Johnson of E-Z-EM, 1-800-544-4624 ext. 3317;

Michael A. Lawless of PETNET/CTI, [phone]; Investors - Joanne Marion

of Berlex, [phone]; Kirk Deeter of Bracco, [phone]; Kim

Sutton Golodetz of E-Z-EM, [phone]; Michael A. Lawless of PETNET/CTI,

[phone]



Web site:  http://www.berlex.com/

http://www.bracco.com/

http://www.ezem.com/

http://www.ctimi.com/ 

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