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Two-year agreement; renewable by EFS for two additional one-year
periods
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50,000 to 112,800 platelet kits
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65,000 to 285,000 plasma kits (to treat 195,000 to 855,000 plasma
units)
CONCORD, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Cerus Corporation (NASDAQ:CERS) announced today that it has signed a new
two-year agreement commencing November 9, 2011 with the French national
blood service, the Etablissement Francais du Sang (EFS), to supply
INTERCEPT Blood System disposable kits for platelets and plasma. The
agreement calls for EFS to purchase at least 50,000 platelet kits and
65,000 plasma kits over the initial two-year period. During this period,
EFS may elect to purchase additional kits, as needed, up to a maximum of
112,800 platelet kits and 285,000 plasma kits. The agreement may be
renewed by EFS for up to two additional one-year periods.
“We are proud to have been chosen to continue supplying INTERCEPT to
France’s transfusion service, which holds itself to the highest
regulatory and production standards,” said William “Obi” Greenman,
Cerus’ president and chief executive officer. “As a result of this new
supply agreement, we expect a significant increase in INTERCEPT plasma
production as EFS diversifies away from production of methylene
blue-treated plasma. The agreement also allows for potential growth in
the use of INTERCEPT platelets.”
France produces approximately 275,000 units of platelets and 380,000
units of plasma per year. INTERCEPT platelets are currently produced at
four EFS blood centers representing approximately 8% of the annual
platelet production. INTERCEPT plasma has historically been produced at
four EFS centers representing approximately 15% of the annual plasma
production, and production has recently been expanded to include five
additional centers in three EFS regions. INTERCEPT is the only pathogen
inactivation (PI) technology approved in France for treatment of
platelets. INTERCEPT and one other PI method are approved in France for
treatment of plasma. Methylene blue, a third plasma PI method, is being
withdrawn by the French regulatory agency and is to be phased out by
March 2012.
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 enables
INTERCEPT treatment to inactivate established transfusion threats, such
as hepatitis B and C, HIV, West Nile virus and bacteria, and is designed
to inactivate emerging pathogens such as influenza, malaria and dengue.
Cerus currently markets and sells the INTERCEPT Blood System for both
platelets and plasma in Europe, the Commonwealth of Independent States,
the Middle East and selected countries in other regions around the
world. The INTERCEPT red blood cell system is in clinical development.
See http://www.cerus.com
for more information.
INTERCEPT and the INTERCEPT Blood System are trademarks of Cerus
Corporation.
This press release contains forward-looking statements. Any
statements contained in this press release that are not statements of
historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking statements,
including, without limitation, statements relating to potential growth
in the use of the INTERCEPT platelet and plasma systems and to the
withdrawal of methylene blue-treated plasma in France and the timing
thereof. These forward-looking statements are based upon Cerus’ current
expectations. Actual results could differ materially from these
forward-looking statements as a result of certain factors, including,
without limitation, risks associated with EFS demand for the INTERCEPT
Blood System, including the risk that Cerus may not be able to maintain
its supply agreement with EFS or that it may not be renewed, risks
respecting Cerus’ ability to obtain sufficient quantities of raw
materials and components and to fulfill large orders on short notice,
and adverse decisions or actions by regulatory agencies including
Afssaps, as well as other risks detailed in the Cerus' filings with, the
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including in Cerus' quarterly
report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2011, filed with
the SEC on November 3, 2011. You are cautioned not to place undue
reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the
date of this press release. Cerus does not undertake any obligation to
update any forward-looking statements as a result of new information,
future events, changed assumptions or otherwise.
Source: Cerus Corporation