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First INTERCEPT Pathogen Reduced Platelet Units Produced in the Continental USCerus Corporation (NASDAQ: CERS) and the SunCoast Blood Bank (SCBB) announced today that the first pathogen reduced platelet units have been produced in the continental US. This follows Cerus' FDA approvals received for the INTERCEPT Blood System for platelets and plasma in December 2014. This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20150629005348/en/ "We believe that initiating the production of INTERCEPT platelet components is a significant milestone in improving blood safety. Providing our hospitals with pathogen reduced products is essential to reducing transfusion-transmitted infections, including sepsis," said Scott Bush, chief executive officer of SCBB. "INTERCEPT platelets also present a potential opportunity for the hospitals we serve to streamline inventory and allow the release of platelets earlier for the needs of their patients by eliminating procedures such as gamma irradiation." 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. "Having pathogen reduced platelet components available in the US is the first step in helping our blood center customers transform the safety and availability of the blood supply," commented William 'Obi' Greenman, Cerus' president and chief executive officer. "We are proud to have collaborated with SunCoast in successfully implementing INTERCEPT, and we look forward to helping SuCoast provide pathogen reduced components to its Southwest Florida hospitals." SCBB collects over 45,000 units of blood products, including 6,000 units of platelets and over 5,500 plasma units per year, to support 12 hospitals and healthcare providers. ABOUT SUNCOAST BLOOD BANK SunCoast Blood Bank (SCBB) is a registered 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization, providing a reliable supply of safe blood products and transfusion services to Southwest Florida for 66 years. SCBB offers a variety of blood products and specialized services such as bedside Therapeutic Apheresis, transfusion testing, and patient blood management for Sarasota Memorial Healthcare System, Manatee Memorial Hospital, Lakewood Ranch Medical Center, Doctors Hospital of Sarasota, Complex Care Hospital at Ridgelake, HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital of Sarasota, Surgery Center at St. Andrews Venice, North Port Emergency Room, Fawcett Memorial Hospital of Port Charlotte, Englewood Community Hospital, DeSoto Memorial Hospital and Bayflite 2 Emergency Helicopter Transport. SCBB is recognized as a distinguished provider with outstanding customer service and the ability to provide rare blood services onsite. For SCBB donor locations and more information, visit www.scbb.org or call 1-866-97-BLOOD. 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 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. 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 streamlining inventory, early release of platelets and eliminating other procedures to treat blood components. 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 SEC (News - Alert), including Cerus' quarterly report on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC on May 8, 2015. 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.
View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20150629005348/en/ |
