CONCORD, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Cerus Corporation (NASDAQ:CERS) announced today the favorable outcome of
a large French study evaluating transfusion of over 13,000 platelet
components treated with the INTERCEPT Blood System. The study has just
been published online in the journal Transfusion1.
"This study demonstrates that INTERCEPT can be implemented into routine
practice, providing protection against transfusion-transmitted
pathogens, without impacting either platelet or red blood cell
utilization. This observation confirms previous data indicating that the
treated platelets are functioning similarly to untreated platelets,"
said Dr. Laurence Corash, Cerus' chief medical officer. "The
investigators also noted that use of INTERCEPT treated platelets
resulted in a decrease in the incidence of adverse events following
transfusion."
The study was performed by the Etablissement Francais du Sang (EFS) of
Alsace, France, which is the sole provider of blood components for the
region's approximately two million inhabitants. EFS Alsace, which
produces approximately 17,000 platelet components per year, implemented
production of INTERCEPT platelets in 2006. In order to assess the impact
of their conversion to pathogen inactivated platelets, the blood center
performed a retrospective analysis of routinely collected active
hemovigilance data collected both before and after the change.
Collection of hemovigilance data is mandatory in France, and the system
is estimated to collect data from over 99% of all transfusions. The
study also evaluated the center's introduction of platelet additive
solution, which occurred prior to conversion to INTERCEPT. Three periods
of data were compared, including in total over 33,000 platelet
transfusions to almost 6000 patients.
The EFS Alsace study results are consistent with those reported in
several other large post-marketing evaluations of INTERCEPT platelets2-4,
and also similar to a previously published multi-year Belgian experience5.
Like most INTERCEPT customers, EFS Alsace is able to realize some cost
offsets by using the inactivation treatment in place of gamma
irradiation for prevention of transfusion-associated graft-versus-host
disease, in place of cytomegalovirus testing, and in place of bacterial
detection tests.
ABOUT CERUS
Cerus Corporation is a biomedical products company focused on
commercializing the INTERCEPT Blood System to enhance blood safety. The
INTERCEPT system is designed to reduce the risk of
transfusion-transmitted diseases by inactivating a broad range of
pathogens such as viruses, bacteria and parasites that may be present in
donated blood. The nucleic acid targeting mechanism of action allows
INTERCEPT treatment to inactivate both established transfusion threats,
such as hepatitis, HIV, West Nile virus and bacteria, as well as
emerging pathogens such as influenza, malaria and dengue. Cerus
currently markets and sells the INTERCEPT Blood System for both
platelets and plasma in Europe, Russia, the Middle East and selected
countries in other regions around the world, with over 600,000 units
transfused to date. The INTERCEPT red blood cell system is in clinical
development. Visit http://www.cerus.com
for more information.
INTERCEPT and INTERCEPT Blood System are trademarks of Cerus Corporation.
References:
1. Cazenave JP, et al. (2010) Use of additive solutions and pathogen
inactivation treatment of platelet components in a regional blood
center: impact on patient outcomes and component utilization during a
3-year period. Transfusion, Online Early.
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1537-2995.2010.02873.x/abstract
2. Osselaer JC, et al. (2008) An active haemovigilance programme
characterizing the safety profile of 7437 platelet transfusions prepared
with amotosalen photochemical treatment. Vox Sang;94:315-23.
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1423-0410.2007.01035.x/abstract
3. Osselaer JC, et al. (2008) A prospective observational cohort safety
study of 5,106 platelet transfusions using components prepared with
photochemical pathogen inactivation treatment. Transfusion;48:1061-71.
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1537-2995.2008.01643.x/abstract
4. Rasongles P, et al. (2009) Transfusion of platelet components
prepared with photochemical pathogen inactivation treatment during a
Chikungunya virus epidemic in Ile de La Reunion. Transfusion;49:1083-91.
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1537-2995.2009.02111.x/abstract
5. Osselaer JC, et al. (2009) Universal adoption of pathogen
inactivation of platelet components: impact on platelet and red blood
cell component use. Transfusion;49:1412-22.
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1537-2995.2009.02151.x/abstract
Source: Cerus Corporation