Hypaque Meglumine is an ionic contrast agent. Hypaque Meglumine 60 percent (w/v) is an aqueous solution containing 60 g of the meglumine salt of diatrizoic acid per 100 mL of solution.
The degree of contrast enhancement at computed tomography is directly related to the amount of iodine administered. In adults the amount of iodine usually required for contrast enhancement ranges from 28 to 42 g.
Hypaque Meglumine is also available in concentrations of 18% and 30%.

GE Healthcare is the result of the merger between GE Medical and Amersham Health in Nov. 2004, after GE acquired Amersham Health for 9.5 billion in Oct. 2003. Jeffrey R. Immelt, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive of General Electric, said, 'Amersham's diagnostic pharmaceutical and life sciences business will add new, high growth platforms to GE Medical's diagnostic imaging, services and health care information technology businesses'. GE Healthcare, a UK company, is a unit of General Electric (NYSE: GE). GE Healthcare is a global leader in medical imaging, diagnostic imaging agents, interventional procedures, health care services, and information technology. For more than 100 years, health care providers have relied on GE Medical Systems, now GE Healthcare, for high quality medical technology and productivity solutions. GE Healthcare, headquartered now at the formerly seat of Amersham Healthcare in Great Britain, operates facilities around the world. Global Operations include organizations on the Americas, Europe, and Asia, including India, Japan, Korea China, Thailand and Vietnam.

The first-generation contrast agents were all ionic monomers, consisting of a tri-iodinated benzene ring with 2 organic side chains and a carboxyl group. Diatrizoate or iothalamate are common iodinated anions, conjugated with a cation, sodium or meglumine. The ionization at the carboxyl-cation bond makes the agent water soluble.
Ionic monomers have the highest osmolality (high-osmolar contrast media (HOCM) possess an osmolality seven to eight times higher than plasma) of the different groups of contrast agents (CM ratio=1.5) and the lowest viscosity. The osmolality in solutions of ionic monomers ranges from 600 to 2100 mOsm/kg (human plasma = 290 mOsm/kg). These high osmolality is related to some of the adverse reactions. HOCM's have been widely replaced by newer contrast agents with improved tolerability and safety profiles.
Examples of HOCM's are Renografin®-60, Hypaque 76, Hypaque Meglumine, Hypaque Sodium and Conray®.

See also Ionic Contrast Agents.

Hypaque 76 is a radiopaque contrast agent supplied as a 76 percent sterile aqueous solution providing 66 percent (w/v) diatrizoate meglumine and 10 percent (w/v) diatrizoate sodium.

GE Healthcare has discontinued Hypaque 76 for unknown reasons.