There has been an uptick in volume in recent years for cardiac amyloidosis imaging. Securing an early diagnosis of the disease is crucial to initiate drug treatment and prevent damage to the heart. To meet this growing demand, Bayer is now expanding its imaging agent pharmaceutical business with the acquisition of Attralus, which is developing PET and SPECT radiotracers.
This is an expansion by Bayer into the molecular imaging space. Its current portfolio consists of iodine-based contrast agents for X-ray based imaging and gadolinium agents for MRI. It also sets the company up to expand into theranostics, as one of the radiotracers in development by Attralus enables both the imaging and the treatment of cardiac amyloidosis.
Bayer is acquiring two cardiac amyloidosis radiotracers from Attralus. AT-01 (124-Iodine-evuzamitide) is a positron emission tomography (PET) tracer in phase III of clinical development. AT-05 (PAR-Peptide + technetium-99m) is a single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) tracer in phase I of clinical development. Attralus’ proprietary pan-amyloid removal (PAR) therapeutics are designed to directly bind to and remove amyloid in organs and tissues. The company said PAR therapeutics have the potential to treat and reverse disease in patients with all types and stages of systemic amyloidosis.
“With new therapies emerging for often insufficiently treated conditions such as cardiac amyloidosis, it becomes increasingly relevant to precisely detect and monitor diseases on the molecular level,” said Nelson Ambrogio, president of radiology at Bayer. “This acquisition marks our entry into diagnostic tracers. Leveraging our expertise in medical imaging–including our pipeline and portfolio in advanced fluid delivery devices for nuclear medicine–it supports our ambition to expand in the growing field of molecular imaging. Building on Attralus’ research and development expertise, we will further advance scientific progress with the aim to broaden diagnostic options and make a meaningful difference for people living with cardiac amyloidosis.”
Cardiac amyloidosis is considered a rare disease, but some cardiology experts say it is difficult to diagnose. Until recently, there were no treatments for the fatal disease that leads to heart failure. There is also a belief that the condition might just be underdiagnosed. Bayer said the disease affects an estimated 400,000 people globally.
The global market for radio-diagnostic tracers was valued at approximately $3 billion in 2024 and is projected to grow significantly in the coming years. With Bayer's comprehensive portfolio in radiology, its expertise in medical imaging, clinical development and global commercial infrastructure, the company said it is uniquely positioned to accelerate innovation and deliver integrated offerings that address evolving clinical needs such as cardiac amyloidosis.
“We are excited to finalize this agreement with Bayer, whose expertise and global footprint in radiology will help to accelerate the development and launch of AT-01 and AT05, our two novel diagnostic imaging agents for systemic amyloidosis,” Glen Firestone, president of Attralus, said in a statement. “Despite recent progress in systemic amyloidosis, most patients continue to remain undiagnosed or are diagnosed too late in their disease progression. We believe that these pan-amyloid imaging agents will enable earlier diagnosis and treatment, leading to improved patient outcomes. Attralus will now focus on advancing its innovative pan-amyloid removal therapeutics, with AT-02 in phase II and next generation candidates in preclinical development.”
The financial details of the acquisition were not disclosed.
Bayer is also among the pharmaceutical companies with a commercialized drug treatment for transthyretin amyloidosis in adult patients with cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM). Bayer launched acoramidis in Europe in 2025. The drug was developed by BridgeBio Pharma Inc. and was cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in November 2024 with a label specifying near-complete stabilization of TTR. BridgeBio holds the marketing rights for acoramidis in the United States, while Bayer holds the exclusive marketing rights for the product in Europe. Bayer said it also has other compounds in various stages of preclinical and clinical development form amyloidosis.