CONCORD, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Cerus Corporation (NASDAQ:CERS) announced today that Blóðbankinn,
Iceland’s national blood transfusion service at Landspitali University
Hospital, has signed an agreement for the purchase of the INTERCEPT
Blood System for platelets and plasma. Blóðbankinn is the sole supplier
of blood components in Iceland.
“Using INTERCEPT to help avoid the risk of transfusion transmitted
infections is our priority. The use of the INTERCEPT Blood System for
platelets for the past year has clearly demonstrated to us that such a
methodology can streamline operations, minimize associated costs and
give an added value to our organization,” says SveinnGuðmundsson, MD,
PhD, Director of Blóðbankinn, Landspitali University Hospital. “The
proven clinical efficacy of INTERCEPT pathogen inactivation to avoid
bacterial contamination of platelet components has enabled us to extend
platelet shelf life from five to seven days, which has already made our
daily and weekly planning easier, increased platelet availability for
haematologic and surgical patients, and minimized outdating of
platelets. Our clinicians expect Blóðbankinn to provide them with
up-to-date services, with a focus on quality and patient safety.” Sveinn
emphasized that after a major economic crisis in 2008, the Blóðbankinn
focused on receiving added value for its investments; the adoption of
INTERCEPT is an important factor in attaining added patient safety while
streamlining operations and minimizing waste.
“We believe that the ability to replace specific procedures, such as
bacterial detection and quarantine plasma, with the INTERCEPT Blood
System played a significant part in Blóðbankinn’s decision to adopt
pathogen inactivation,” stated Caspar Hogeboom, president of Cerus
Europe. “We look forward to working with them in implementing INTERCEPT
as they seek to improve blood banking logistics and take a proactive
approach to enhance blood safety for patients.”
Blóðbankinn collects 13,000 whole blood units, and processes 2,500
platelet units and 4,000 plasma units per year, representing 100% of
Iceland’s red cell, platelet and plasma market. Blóðbankinn provides
nationwide transfusion services in Iceland, a country with a population
of 320,000 people, and has a staff of 50 people. It's emphasis on
providing high quality services and focus on patient safety enabled it
to reach ISO 9001:2008 certification in the year 2000.
ABOUT CERUS
Cerus Corporation is a biomedical products company focused in the field
of blood safety. In in vitro studies, the company’s INTERCEPT
Blood System has been demonstrated to inactivate a broad range of
viruses, bacteria and parasites that may be present in donated blood,
including established threats such as hepatitis B and C, 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, the Commonwealth
of Independent States, the Middle East and selected countries in other
regions around the world. In the United States, Cerus is seeking
regulatory approval of the INTERCEPT Blood System for plasma and
platelets. 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.
Except for the historical statements contained herein, this press
release contains forward-looking statements concerning Cerus’ products,
prospects and results, including statements regarding the expected
impact of implementing the INTERCEPT platelet system at the Landspitali
University Hospital. Actual results could differ materially from these
forward-looking statements as a result of certain factors, including,
without limitation, risks associated with for the implementation and use
of the INTERCEPT Blood System, as well as other risks detailed in Cerus’
filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including Cerus’
Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2013 filed
with the SEC on August 2, 2013. Cerus disclaims any obligation or
undertaking to update or revise any forward-looking statements contained
in this press release.
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Source: Cerus Corporation