Verax Biomedical and Healthtrust® Purchasing Group Enter Agreement for the Use of the Verax Platelet Pgd® Test

HealthTrust (HPG), the industry’s only truly committed and aligned group purchasing model, serves over 1,500 hospitals including five of the seven largest IDNs in the U.S.

MARLBOROUGH, Mass.--()--Enhancing its ability to accelerate growth and meet existing demand, Verax Biomedical Incorporated announced today that it has entered into a three-year laboratory products agreement with HealthTrust Purchasing Group (HPG) to support member hospitals with the implementation of the Verax Platelet PGD Test (PGD).

Every year the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reports fatal septic events associated with contaminated platelets that have been tested by early culture methods. Many hospitals have implemented the PGD Test to address this risk and participation in this new agreement makes it easier for HPG hospital members to implement PGD.

“The Platelet PGD test helps protect our patients because it protects our product. We have peace of mind that we are keeping our patients safe,” said Charles J. DiComo, Ph.D., Administrative Director, Lab Services, Integration and Planning at WellSpan Health, an HPG member organization. “Since implementing PGD, we now have a best practice for ensuring patient safety and extending platelets, which provides better resource management, saves money, allows us to be a net platelet exporter to surrounding institutions, and supports us in delivering exceptional patient care in our region.”

The Verax Platelet PGD test not only improves platelet safety but also offers users the opportunity to move to 7 Day platelet dating. This enables the typical hospital to save $250,000 or more annually through reduced platelet outdating according to data gleaned from Verax's experience with institutions adopting the practice.

“In an era of cost constraints impacting hospital operations, the ability to save money with PGD through extended platelet dating is of strong appeal to hospitals across the country,” said Verax CEO Jim Lousararian. “Implementation of PGD offers hospitals the unique opportunity to address a critical patient risk while saving money at the same time. We are very excited to help HPG and its members capture these benefits.”

Every year over 15 percent of apheresis platelets, the costliest blood component in a hospitals blood inventory, outdate and are discarded. The average cost to a U.S. hospital of a single apheresis platelet is over $547 according to a recently published blood utilization survey published in the journal Transfusion. The average U.S. university medical center transfuses thousands of apheresis platelets annually. Extending platelet dating from 5 to 7 days can drastically reduce the waste of this precious life giving resource.

About Verax Biomedical

Verax is the producer of the Platelet PGD® Test, the only rapid test for bacterial contamination in platelets granted a Safety Measure claim by the FDA. The test can be used to extend the dating of apheresis platelets in plasma, the most common platelet type transfused in the U.S., from 5 to 7 days. This dating extension offers the opportunity for significant cost savings to the hospital and blood banking community while preserving a critical life-giving resource. For more information, visit www.veraxbiomedical.com.

About HealthTrust

HealthTrust (legally known as HealthTrust Purchasing Group, L.P. www.healthtrustpg.com) serves more than 1,500 hospitals and members in 22,600 other locations, including ambulatory surgery centers, physician practices, long-term care and alternate care sites. It is headquartered in Brentwood, Tenn.

Contacts

Media Contact:
Joe Sanders
VP Marketing and Business Development
Verax Biomedical
617-771-8199
jsanders@veraxbiomedical.com

Release Summary

Verax Biomedical and HealthTrust® Purchasing Group enter agreement for the use of the Verax Platelet PGD® Test

Contacts

Media Contact:
Joe Sanders
VP Marketing and Business Development
Verax Biomedical
617-771-8199
jsanders@veraxbiomedical.com