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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, +1-973-487-2095; Kirk Deeter of Bracco, +1-303-838-8708, Tom Johnson of E-Z-EM, 1-800-544-4624 ext. 3317; Michael A. Lawless of PETNET/CTI, +1-865-218-2000; Investors - Joanne Marion of Berlex, +1- 973-487-2164; Kirk Deeter of Bracco, +1-303-838-8708; Kim Sutton Golodetz of E-Z-EM, +1-212-838-3777; Michael A. Lawless of PETNET/CTI, +1-865-218-2000 Web site: http://www.berlex.com/ http://www.bracco.com/ http://www.ezem.com/ http://www.ctimi.com/

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