On July 21, 2017, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) confirmed previous recommendations to suspend the use of three linear gadolinium-based contrast agents (GBCAs) used for MRIs, citing potential risks from brain deposition of gadolinium.  The use of one other linear GBCA will be restricted to liver scans.

The 3 suspended agents are Magnevist (gadopentetic acid), Omniscan (gadodiamide), and OptiMark (gadoversetamide).  The agent restricted to liver scans is MultiHance (gadobenic acid).

Read the article on Aunt Minne about this action here:
http://www.auntminnie.com/index.aspx?sec=ser&sub=def&pag=dis&ItemID=117859

The official announcement from the EMA can be found here:
http://www.ema.europa.eu/docs/en_GB/document_library/Referrals_document/gadolinium_contrast_agents_31/Opinion_provided_by_Committee_for_Medicinal_Products_for_Human_Use/WC500231824.pdf

Additional information on the EMA website can be found here:
http://www.ema.europa.eu/ema/index.jsp?curl=pages/medicines/human/referrals/Gadolinium-containing_contrast_agents/human_referral_prac_000056.jsp&mid=WC0b01ac05805c516f

We are encouraged by the EMA’s action and believe that the FDA should take a similar stance.

Patients and their doctors should report all adverse events and clinical symptoms to the FDA or the appropriate governing authority in their country.  Chronic symptoms that develop soon after MRIs with contrast could be manifestations of the harm done by gadolinium deposition in the brain, bones, and elsewhere in the body.