Guerbet is one of the world’s top four manufacturers of contrast media for radiology. Over 85% of its sales come from outside of France, and in 2021 it reported revenues of €732 million. Every second, somewhere in the world, a patient benefits from a Guerbet product. The firm, which was founded in 1926 by André Guerbet, operates in more than 80 countries and has around 20 subsidiaries. It has been listed on the Euronext stock exchange since 1986.
Being a pure player is great, but being a trailblazer is even better. The French firm is therefore expanding into other segments related to its core business.
Guerbet’s business is built on three pillars. The first and most long-standing is contrast media. The firm, in which the Guerbet family still has a majority stake, has not forgotten this. However, it now plans to provide radiologists with comprehensive packages including contrast media, digital solutions, injection systems, and technical services. A new MRI contrast agent, Gadopiclenol, is due to be launched by the end of the year.
“Interventional radiology and AI will both play a major role in radiology in the future. So, the changes we are making are very much in line with our core business. The aim is to identify new business and growth opportunities while still being a pure player,” explains Claire Durand, Secretary General of Guerbet.
The second pillar is interventional radiology, a minimally invasive alternative to surgery. The 2018 acquisition of Israeli startup Accurate, specialized in microcatheters, signaled the strengthening of Guerbet’s position in this promising segment. A new range of microcatheters and guidewires will be released to the market in 2022.
Lastly, artificial intelligence allows the use of data and images to create algorithms and thus develop diagnostic assistance tools for radiologists. In addition to its partnership with American firm IBM Watson Health, Guerbet now has its own in-house team of engineers. “When applied to healthcare, AI data and software offer a real benefit to patients, says Claire Durand. The time to diagnosis is quicker and the treatment is more likely to succeed.”
Four software products for detecting liver, prostate, and pancreatic cancer, as well as bone metastasis, are currently being developed. The first two should be released to the market in 2023.
In addition, Guerbet is expanding its presence in Asia by opening a subsidiary in China this year.