CONCORD, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Cerus Corporation (NASDAQ:CERS) announced today that it has entered into
a supply agreement with Centro de Transfusión de la Comunidad de Madrid
(CTCM) for the INTERCEPT Blood System for platelets.
"We are pleased to work with CTCM in providing INTERCEPT Platelets to
enhance the safety of blood components. As one of the largest blood
banks in Spain, CTCM is an important organization within the Spanish
blood banking community," noted Gualtiero Garlasco, general manager of
Cerus Europe B.V.
CTCM provides blood and blood components to all hospitals in Madrid.
Each year, CTCM manages approximately 250,000 blood donations allowing
for the distribution of 45,000 units of platelets. Earlier this year,
CTCM issued a public tender for the inactivation for part of its
platelet components.
"In addition, the use of INTERCEPT double-dose kits should allow CTCM to
benefit from operational efficiencies resulting from the production of
two therapeutic doses from a single inactivation procedure. These
operational efficiencies are expected to result in a net savings in
platelet production costs and increase platelet availability," Garlasco
continued.
The INTERCEPT Blood System leverages the fact that blood components do
not require functional DNA or RNA, as opposed to pathogens and donor
white blood cells. Pathogen inactivation via the INTERCEPT Blood System
is designed to block the replication process so that harmful viruses,
bacteria, and parasites can no longer replicate and cause disease.
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 http://www.cerus.com
for information about Cerus.
INTERCEPT and the INTERCEPT Blood System are trademarks of Cerus
Corporation.
Forward-Looking Statements
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 regarding the expected
operational efficiencies and the impact thereof on platelet production
costs and platelet availability. 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 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' Annual Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter
ended June 30, 2017, filed with the SEC on August 4, 2017. 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
disclaims any obligation or undertaking to update or revise any
forward-looking statements contained in this press release.
View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171030005381/en/
Source: Cerus Corporation