GE HealthCare Launches Flyrcado™: The Dynamic CAD Diagnosis Solution

• GE HealthCare has initiated Flyrcado™ (flurpiridaz F 18), a new development in MPI used in PET to help diagnose coronary artery diseases, with a 10-fold longer half-life compared to any other agents.
• Flyrcado was launched in 2024 after gaining the FDA’s approval to assist in the evaluation of ischaemia, with CMS approving its pass-through payment status to improve healthcare provider accessibilities.

GE HealthCare has introduced Flyrcado™ (flurpiridaz F 18) as a breakthrough imaging agent for the diagnosis of coronary artery disease (CAD). The presentation took place at the American College of Cardiology (ACC) Conference and is expected to revolutionise heart disease diagnostics. Flyrcado is a Positron Emission Tomography Myocardial Perfusion Imaging (PET MPI) agent and has a unique property in that it has a half-life ten times greater than other main cardiac PET agents on the market, thus offering more practical utility in clinics.

Improving Diagnosis for Hard-to-Diagnose Patients

Flyrcado has a special role in the diagnosis of CAD in a wide range of patients, especially the ones considered challenging to diagnose such as patients with high BMI. In a research presented at the 2023 SNMMI conference,  Flyrcado exceeded conventional SPECT imaging significantly in terms of both sensitivity and specificity; therefore, doctors can now make more accurate assessments of heart health, more particularly in cases where it is quite challenging to diagnose. 

FDA Approval: An Essential Step in Cardiology

On September 27, 2024, the FDA approved Flyrcado – a significant advancement in the assessment of cardiac ischaemia. Exercise-induced stress testing is very effective at letting physicians gather a complete scenario of a patient’s heart function after combining it with Flyrcado. Therefore, it allows the physician a better vision of the heart’s performance and how well blood is flowing, whether any issues such as require treatment.

Flyrcado for More Expanded and Applicable Diagnosis of Heart Disease

One remarkable thing about Flyrcado is that it expands access to cardiac care. It obtained the pass-through payment status from Centres for Medicare and Medicaid Services effective April 1, 2025. This means that Flyrcado, as a radiopharmaceutical, and the associated PET scan procedure will be reimbursed separately, making it easier for hospitals and clinics to provide this advanced cardiac imaging technology to patients.

Shaping the Future of Heart Disease Diagnosis

With the launch of Flyrcado, GE HealthCare is taking another stride forward in its dedication to advanced healthcare technology. Flyrcado has a half-life longer than many competing imaging agents, improved diagnostic accuracy over traditional SPECT MPI, and new reimbursement opportunities, potentially positioning it to play a significant role in advancing CAD detection and management. The accurate diagnosis of CAD enabled by this advanced tool could help clinicians improve patient outcomes and enhance cardiac care globally, depending on its adoption and integration into healthcare systems.