Agreement covers complete INTERCEPT product line:
platelets,
plasma, and red blood cells.
CONCORD, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Cerus Corporation (NASDAQ:CERS) announced today that it has entered into
an agreement with Kedrion Biopharma to distribute the full complement of
INTERCEPT Blood System products in Italy. Kedrion Biopharma will
initially distribute INTERCEPT for platelets and plasma and will have
the right to distribute INTERCEPT red blood cells following CE mark
approval.
Under the terms of the agreement, Kedrion Biopharma will be the sole
distributor for the INTERCEPT Blood Systems in Italy and will be
responsible for promotion, sales, deployment, and red cell introduction
for INTERCEPT in the future.
“We are pleased to be working with Kedrion,” said Gualtiero Garlasco,
general manager of Cerus Europe B.V. “Kedrion has significant experience
in the plasma derivatives business and understands the dynamics of the
Italian transfusion medicine market. We believe Kedrion is the right
partner for us as we seek to increase our market presence in Southern
Europe given their industry expertise, commercial reach, and strong
relationships with blood centers and hospitals in Italy.”
Cerus estimates the Italian transfusion market at approximately 200,000
units for platelets, 400,000 units for plasma, and 2,500,000 units for
red blood cells.
“Cerus’ INTERCEPT Blood Systems’ platform complements our current
product portfolio and we believe the market opportunity for pathogen
inactivation of transfused blood components in Italy is significant. We
look forward to working with Cerus to help make INTERCEPT the standard
of care in Italy for improving the safety of transfusion medicine and
are excited to be collaborating on the potential introduction of the
INTERCEPT red cell system,” commented Danilo Medica, Italy
Country Manager of Kedrion Biopharma.
INTERCEPT Blood Systems is designed to reduce the
transfusion-transmitted infection risk by inactivating a broad range of
pathogens including chikungunya. Clusters of chikungunya have been
reported by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control
(ECDC) including the recent outbreak in the Lazio region of Italy which
resulted in a temporary halt of blood donations in Rome. Chikungunya is
often spread by the bite of Aedes mosquito. Chikungunya outbreaks in
Europe have been previously reported in Italy (2007) and France (2010,
2014, and 2017).
ABOUT KEDRION BIOPHARMA
Kedrion Biopharma is an international company that collects and
fractionates blood plasma to produce and distribute plasma-derived
therapeutic products for use in treating and preventing serious
diseases, disorders and conditions such as hemophilia, primary immune
system deficiencies and Rh-sensitization.
With over 2,300 employees and a commercial presence in around 100
countries worldwide, Kedrion works to maintain excellent industry
standards and aspires to ongoing improvement in order to retain a
leading position in Italy and to increase its share of the international
markets. The company works to strengthen its role as the accredited
partner of medical, scientific and institutional communities, and its
ambition is to enhance its worldwide role as a strategic partner of the
national health systems of countries, aiming to become self-sufficient
in providing plasma-derived products, also via technology transfer.
Additional information about Kedrion Biopharma can be found at kedrion.com.
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 concerning potential CE Mark
approval and commercialization of the INTERCEPT Blood System for red
blood cells. 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 may be unable to file for CE Mark
approval of the red blood cell system in Europe in the anticipated
timeframe or at all, and even if filed, Cerus may be unable to obtain CE
Mark approval, or any other regulatory approvals, of the red blood cell
system in a timely manner or at all; 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/20171031005503/en/
Source: Cerus Corporation