GE HealthCare announced it acquired the remaining 50% stake in Nihon Medi-Physics (NMP) from Sumitomo Chemical, giving it full ownership of NMP. 

GE HealthCare has had a 50% stake in NMP since acquiring Amersham plc in 2004 for $9.5 billion. Amersham specialized in medical imaging agents and life sciences.

In a statement, NMP said it can now expand on its expertise developing and manufacturing proprietary and in-licensed radiopharmaceuticals that are used in single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and positron emission tomography (PET) molecular imaging procedures to detect and diagnose disease.

NMP’s product line includes GE HealthCare radiopharmaceuticals that are used to allow clinical images across neurology, cardiology and oncology procedures.

Besides its 13 manufacturing facilities, NMP concentrates on research and development, such as nonclinical and clinical development of radiotracers and theranostics research. 

"As the third largest pharmaceutical market in the world and amongst the leading countries by number of cyclotrons, Japan is on a path to becoming a leader in the $7 billion molecular imaging global market and a center of excellence for Asian markets," Kevin O’Neill, president and CEO of the pharmaceutical diagnostics (PDx) segment of GE HealthCare, said in a statement.

"NMP will play a key role in that journey, including bringing its deep expertise and scale to global innovators looking to bring novel products to the Japan market and beyond. This will strengthen our precision care strategy in Asia and our existing footprint in Japan, where our contrast media and medical devices are used every day to enable imaging procedures across the country."

Hiroshi Ueda, executive vice president, Sumitomo Chemical, said the company is proud of its 50-year relationship with NMP and its partnership with GE HealthCare. 

"At a time of exciting developments in the industry, following its discussions with Sumitomo Chemical, we believe GE HealthCare is the best owner to enable NMP to continue its successful growth journey," Udea said in a statement.

The deal between Sumitomo and GE HealthCare is expected to close in early 2025.

THE LARGER TREND

GE HealthCare exhibited more than 40 innovations, including several key AI-enabled technologies to optimize patient care and increase operational efficiencies at the Radiological Society of North America’s (RSNA) 2024 Annual Meeting in Chicago. 

Among them, workflow efficiency technologies are being showcased at RSNA, including Clarify DL, a bone-image reconstruction algorithm powered by AI that is designed to enhance bone SPECT image quality performance, a key factor in increasing diagnostic confidence. 

Additionally, Command Lite by IONIC Health empowers radiology staff to concentrate on patient care, while accessing support through remote collaboration and scan assistance.

In November, GE HealthCare announced the Pristina Via mammography system designed to increase the screening experience for both technologists and patients. The system, which debuted at the RSNA 2024 Annual Meeting, provides mammography technologists with a suite of sophisticated tools that balance the demands of diagnostic accuracy and fast-paced workflows to facilitate more patient-centered breast care.

GE HealthCare also announced additional clinical applications as part of the OEC 3D mobile CBCT C-arm portfolio to help enable precise and effective imaging during endoscopic bronchoscopy procedures.