Multiple, independent European blood centers to report on INTERCEPT Blood System for platelets and plasma

Cerus Corporation (NASDAQ:CERS) announced today that investigators from blood centers in Sweden, Belgium, France and Slovenia will present their experience with the INTERCEPT Blood System for platelets and plasma during a leading international transfusion safety meeting, the XIIth International Haemovigilance Seminar taking place in Dubrovnik, Croatia from February 17 to 19.

“INTERCEPT platelets demonstrate comparable therapeutic efficacy to conventional platelet components with no increase in platelet usage”

Dr. Folke Knutson of the University Hospital in Uppsala, Sweden, will present one year's experience with universal adoption of the INTERCEPT platelet components in which he observed a 66 percent reduction in adverse transfusion reactions for all patients, and no reported reactions among pediatric patients. “INTERCEPT platelets demonstrate comparable therapeutic efficacy to conventional platelet components with no increase in platelet usage,” noted Dr. Knutson.

Dr. Jean Claude Osselaer of the Mont Godinne Blood Transfusion Center, Yvoir, Belgium will report on the transfusion experience with 18,641 INTERCEPT platelet components transfused in a 21-center European haemovigilance study confirming the safety profile of platelets treated with the INTERCEPT platelet system.

The French national transfusion service of Alsace (EFS-Alsace, Strasbourg, France) will present on its experience with transfusion of 42,806 INTERCEPT platelet components over a three year period demonstrating significant reduction in acute transfusion reactions compared to conventional platelet components. In addition, EFS Alsace will present data on transfusion of 26,234 INTERCEPT plasma components showing a safety profile comparable to that of conventional plasma.

“These are reports by multiple independent European blood centers using the INTERCEPT pathogen inactivation technology in routine practice for a broad spectrum of patients, and their experience serves to confirm and extend the safety profile for these products,” said Dr. Laurence Corash, Cerus' chief medical officer.