Cerus Corporation Announces New Five-Year INTERCEPT Blood System Agreement With Swiss Transfusion SRC
December 12 2019 - 8:30AM
Business Wire
New Five-Year Agreement Maintains Exclusive Use
of INTERCEPT Platelets and Expands Use of INTERCEPT Plasma
Cerus Corporation (Nasdaq:CERS) announced today that it has
signed a new five-year commercial contract with Swiss Transfusion
SRC, a company of the Swiss Red Cross, for purchase of the
INTERCEPT Blood System. The new agreement includes both INTERCEPT
platelet and plasma kits in addition to Illuminators and service
contracts.
“Swiss Transfusion SRC is one of our longest standing clinical
and commercial partners, with a track record of stringent safety
requirements. We are honored that Swiss Transfusion SRC continues
to entrust Cerus and the INTERCEPT Blood System to enhance the
safety and availability of its blood component supply,” said
William ‘Obi’ Greenman, Cerus’ president and chief executive
officer.
Since 2011, all platelet components in Switzerland have been
treated with the INTERCEPT Blood System. Based on haemovigilance
data published by Swissmedic, between 2011 and 2018, over 280,000
units of INTERCEPT treated platelets were transfused in Switzerland
with no reported cases of transfusion-transmitted sepsis.
Conversely, between 2005 and 2011, approximately 157,000 units of
conventional platelets were transfused with 16 reported cases of
septic transfusions resulting in three fatalities. Furthermore, at
the University of Basel hospital during the same period, patients
undergoing allogeneic stem cell transplant receiving INTERCEPT
platelets demonstrated improved survival compared to those patients
who had previously been transfused with conventional platelet
products (Infanti et al. Transfusion 59 (11); 3350-61, 2019).
“Cerus has been, and continues to be, an important collaboration
partner in helping enhance patient safety in Switzerland. The
ability to extend platelet storage to seven days has also improved
our ability to maintain availability of this sometimes scarce blood
component,” said Dr. Bernhard Wegmüller, chief executive officer,
Swiss Transfusion SRC. “In the future, we look forward to the
expected CE mark approval for INTERCEPT red blood cells.”
In 2018, approximately 220,000 RBC doses, 39,000 units of
platelets, and 30,500 units of fresh frozen plasma were transfused
in Switzerland.
The Cerus partnership with Swiss Transfusion SRC to develop a
whole blood pathogen inactivation system is also continuing in an
effort to find a solution to improve the safety of transfusion
practice in Africa. The program is expected to begin clinical
studies in the Côte d’Ivoire in 2020. In many parts of the world
with limited resources, there is not enough blood to save women's
lives with severe postpartum haemorrhage, to treat children with
malaria infection‐induced severe anaemia, or to reduce the burden
of sickle cell disease and other haemoglobinopathies.
ABOUT CERUS
Cerus Corporation is dedicated solely to safeguarding the
world’s blood supply and aims to become the preeminent global blood
products company. Based in Concord, California, our employees are
dedicated to deploying and supplying vital technologies and
pathogen-protected blood components for blood centers, hospitals
and ultimately patients who rely on safe blood. With the INTERCEPT
Blood System, we are focused on protecting patients by delivering
the full complement of reliable products and expertise for
transfusion medicine. Cerus develops and markets the INTERCEPT
Blood System, and remains the only company in the blood transfusion
space to earn both CE Mark and FDA approval for pathogen reduction
of both platelet and plasma components. Cerus currently markets and
sells the INTERCEPT Blood System 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. For more information
about Cerus, visit www.cerus.com.
INTERCEPT and the INTERCEPT Blood System are trademarks of Cerus
Corporation.
Forward Looking Statements
Except for the historical statements contained herein, this
press release contains forward-looking statements concerning the
anticipated approval of Cerus’ CE Mark submission for the INTERCEPT
red blood cell system and the timing of commencement of clinical
studies for a whole blood pathogen inactivation system in the Côte
d’Ivoire. Actual results could differ materially from these
forward-looking statements as a result of certain factors,
including, without limitation, risks associated with the uncertain
and time-consuming regulatory process; that Cerus may be unable to
obtain CE Mark approval, or any other regulatory approvals, of
INTERCEPT red blood cell system in a timely manner or at all; that
applicable regulatory authorities may disagree with Cerus’
interpretations of the data from its clinical studies and/or may
otherwise determine not to approve Cerus’ regulatory submissions in
a timely manner or at all, that anticipated clinical trials may not
be initiated on the anticipated timing or at all, or if initiated,
may be extended, delayed, suspended or terminated, including as
result of safety concerns, 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 September 30, 2019, filed with the SEC on October 30, 2019.
Cerus disclaims any obligation or undertaking to update or revise
any forward-looking statements contained in this press release.
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version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20191212005214/en/
Tim Lee – Investor Relations Director Cerus Corporation
925-288-6137
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