CONCORD, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Cerus Corporation (NASDAQ: CERS) announced today that it has entered
into a collaboration agreement with the Nipro Corporation’s
pharmaceutical division to develop technology to support commercial
implementation of the INTERCEPT System for Red Blood Cells (RBCs). Under
the agreement, the companies will leverage Nipro’s proprietary
technology to develop a set that enables the mixing and delivery of key
chemical compounds to the red cell component, a process which is
integral to the pathogen inactivation technology for RBCs.
“The intent is to have a disposable kit for red cells that is very easy
to use and operationally efficient in both large and small blood
centers. With a simple manual squeeze of a connected double bag, active
components in the kit are reconstituted in a solution to begin the
inactivation process,” said Nina Mufti, Cerus’ vice president of
development. “We are excited about our partnership with Nipro, a company
known for its innovation, and believe that this collaboration sets the
stage for a broader arrangement for the large-scale production of this
key component of the INTERCEPT red cell disposable set.”
Nipro Corporation’s pharmaceutical business specializes in producing
innovative kit products that maximimize operational ease-of-use,
including prefilled syringes and liquid/powder double-bag kits. Nipro
Group (Nipro Corporation and its affiliate companies) has one of the
largest contract manufacturing operations in Japan, and manufactures
drug products for more than 70 companies in Japan and abroad.
ABOUT CERUS
Cerus Corporation is a biomedical products company focused in the field
of blood safety. 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.
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 the results of the
current collaboration, and potential future collaborations, between
Nipro and Cerus. 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, risk that Cerus will be successful in advancing,
capitalizing and monetizing red blood cell system; that Cerus can raise
sufficient capital to support its product development and
commercialization efforts; that product development efforts and clinical
studies can be performed in an efficient and effective manner; and risks
associated with dependence on third-party collaborators to support
development activities as well as other risks detailed in the Cerus'
filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including in
Cerus' annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2013,
filed with the SEC on March 7, 2014. 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