Cerus Announces Agreement With Blood Systems For The Use Of INTERCEPT Platelets And Plasma

CONCORD, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Cerus Corporation (NASDAQ: CERS) announced today that it has signed a master agreement with Blood Systems, Inc. (BSI) for use of the INTERCEPT Blood System for platelets and plasma.

“INTERCEPT pathogen reduction is closely aligned with BSI’s mission of seeking out evidence-based strategies that reduce costs and improve patient safety and outcomes.”

BSI is one of America’s oldest and largest comprehensive transfusion medicine organizations, representing approximately 10 percent of the nation’s blood supply. Collectively, BSI and its affiliates distribute 240,000 platelet and 380,000 plasma units annually to more than 700 hospitals across the country. Also part of BSI, the Blood Systems Research Institute (BSRI) is dedicated to advancing blood safety worldwide through scientific research, education, and the promotion of evidence-based policies.

“We believe that pathogen reduction may play an important role in protecting the US blood supply,” said David Green, president of BSI’s Blood Centers Division. “This agreement will allow us to move forward with INTERCEPT implementation at Community Blood Services in the near term, and potentially streamline the addition of other BSI centers in the future.”

“Through the Blood Systems Research Institute, BSI is a global leader with respect to research on transfusion-transmitted infectious diseases,” commented William ‘Obi’ Greenman, Cerus’ president and chief executive officer. “INTERCEPT pathogen reduction is closely aligned with BSI’s mission of seeking out evidence-based strategies that reduce costs and improve patient safety and outcomes.”

Community Blood Services, which distributes blood components to 22 hospitals in the New Jersey / New York region, will be the next BSI site to implement the INTERCEPT Blood System. Cerus had also previously announced a contract with BSI affiliate Bonfils Blood Center in July 2015.

ABOUT BLOOD SYSTEMS

Blood Systems is one of the nation’s oldest and largest non-profit blood service providers. Its Blood Centers Division (Blood Centers of the Pacific, Bonfils Blood Center, Community Blood Services, Inland Northwest Blood Center, Lifeblood, LifeShare, LifeStream and United Blood Services) provides blood, blood components and special services to patients in more than 700 hospitals in 24 states.

Blood Systems Research Institute generates and analyzes data to aid the US and worldwide transfusion community by recommending testing strategies and technology. Creative Testing Solutions, a co-owned venture with OneBlood, the Institute for Transfusion Medicine and Bloodworks Northwest, is the largest independent blood donor testing organization in the country, and tests approximately 33 percent of the United States blood supply at three high volume laboratories in Dallas, Phoenix and Tampa. The BioCARE division distributes therapeutic biologicals and recombinant coagulation factors, including such products as albumin, coagulation factors, fibrin sealants, IVIG, and Rh immune globulin.

See www.BloodSystems.org for more information about Blood Systems.

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 www.cerus.com for more information about Cerus.

INTERCEPT and INTERCEPT Blood System are trademarks of Cerus Corporation.