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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Contacts:
Cerus Corporation
Lainie Corten, 925-288-6319
Sr Director, Global Marketing Investor Relations
