The pharmacokinetic parameters, safety, and tolerability of
OptiMARK (
gadoversetamide injection), a
gadolinium-based magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
contrast agent, were evaluated in 163 subjects with either central nervous system (CNS) or liver pathology with and without
renal insufficiency, for which a contrast-enhanced MRI was indicated. A multicenter, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, parallel-group design was used in which subjects received 0.1, 0.3, or 0.5 mmol/kg of
OptiMARK or placebo intravenously. Samples were analyzed for total
gadolinium by inductively coupled plasma/mass spectrometry.
Gadolinium pharmacokinetics were affected by renal impairment: area under the curve, half-life, and steady-state distribution volume significantly increased with declining renal function, while total body clearance decreased. In subjects with normal renal function, neither age, gender, nor liver versus CNS pathology altered
gadolinium pharmacokinetics. No clinically significant changes from baseline were noted in vital signs, laboratory measures, electrocardiograms, or physical examinations.
OptiMARK is safe and well-tolerated following a single
intravenous injection in subjects with either liver or CNS pathology despite a prolonged elimination half-life in subjects with renal impairment.