-- Collaborative effort is intended to help combat against
potential transmission of diseases and viruses such as Zika virus,
dengue fever, and chikungunya virus via blood transfusions --
CONCORD, Calif. & RIO DE JANIERO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Cerus Corporation (NASDAQ:CERS) and its distribution partner CEI Group
(Brazil) today announced a donation of INTERCEPT Blood System pathogen
reduction kits for platelets and plasma to HEMORIO, a public hospital
responsible for transfusion medicine and hematology care for the state
of Rio de Janeiro and part of the State Health Department and
coordinator of the State Blood Network. HEMORIO is also the designated
emergency preparedness blood center in Rio de Janeiro for the Summer
Olympic Games, and this donation is aimed at protecting HEMORIO’s
platelet and plasma transfusion needs for emergency preparedness during
the Olympic Games.
“As the selected blood products provider for Olympics emergency
preparedness, providing pathogen-reduced blood components is an
important part of our readiness plan. However, due to funding
constraints, it has not been feasible to implement the technology
commercially in advance of the Olympic Games,” said Dr. Luiz Amorim,
General Director of HEMORIO. “We thank Cerus and CEI Group for this
donation, which allows us to get up and running with INTERCEPT more
quickly. Not only will it provide us with an added layer of safety to
protect patients from pathogens such as Zika, dengue, and chikungunya
that may be present in donor blood, we also believe that in the
long-term, this system will provide a cost savings to HEMORIO.”
“Cerus’ mission is to improve the standard of care for transfused blood
components globally and to enable our customers to do everything in
their power to deliver safe and effective blood products to patients,”
commented Obi Greenman, Cerus’ president and chief executive officer.
"This donation helps to bring protection from blood borne pathogens to
the people of Brazil, and will also provide an additional safeguard for
the Olympians, their families, and fans that will be traveling to Rio in
August for the Olympic Games.”
The INTERCEPT Blood System for platelets and plasma is the only pathogen
reduction system to receive approval from the Agência Nacional de
Vigilância Sanitária (ANVISA) for commercial use in Brazil. In addition
to this donation for HEMORIO, INTERCEPT is in the process of being
implemented commercially at additional blood centers in Brazil. Over 3.7
million whole blood and apheresis blood components are collected
annually in Brazil at a number of public and private collection centers.
“CEI Group is very proud to be part of the introduction of the INTERCEPT
Blood System, bringing blood transfusion to the next level of safety in
Brazil,” says Paulo Pacheco, President of CEI Group and President of the
Brazilian Golf Confederation.
ABOUT THE INTERCEPT BLOOD SYSTEM
The INTERCEPT Blood System for platelets and plasma, approved in Europe
since 2002 and in the United States since 2014, is designed to enhance
the safety of donated blood components by inactivating a broad spectrum
of enveloped viruses, non-enveloped viruses, Gram-positive and
Gram-negative bacteria, spirochetes, and parasites, as well as
potentially harmful white blood cells present in donor blood. INTERCEPT
is comprised of single-use platelet and plasma processing sets and an
ultraviolet (UVA) illumination device for the ex vivo preparation and
storage of pathogen-reduced whole blood-derived or apheresis plasma and
apheresis platelet components. The safety and efficacy of platelets and
plasma treated with the INTERCEPT Blood System has been extensively
evaluated in clinical studies and has been monitored and shown to be
safe in routine use through hemovigilance programs covering over 500,000
INTERCEPT-processed platelet and plasma components.
ABOUT CERUS
Cerus Corporation is a biomedical products company focused in the field
of blood transfusion safety. The INTERCEPT Blood System is designed to
reduce the risk of transfusion-transmitted infections 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 of the INTERCEPT treatment is designed to inactivate established
transfusion threats, such as hepatitis B and C, HIV, West Nile virus,
and bacteria, as well as emerging pathogens such as chikungunya,
malaria, and dengue. Cerus currently markets and sells the INTERCEPT
Blood System for both platelets and plasma in the United States, 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 www.cerus.com
for information about Cerus.
INTERCEPT and INTERCEPT Blood System are trademarks of Cerus Corporation.
ABOUT CEI GROUP
Founded in 1991, by the visionary entrepreneur Paulo Cezar Pacheco (who
has more than 45 years of expertise in the health area), CEI Group
portfolio of products boasts of prestigious world trademarks, with
exclusive rights of distribution for the whole of Brazil. Its
organizational chart is made up of regional branches strategically
placed, its own sales team and specialized technical assistance.
The organization is the market leader in the products that it
commercializes. The constant search for innovative products, an
integrated sales concept and high quality of services, with the focus on
the needs and satisfaction of the customers are the strategies that have
consolidated the company in the market.
View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160706005402/en/
Source: Cerus Corporation