Cerus Corporation Announces a Five-Year Tender Award by the Hong Kong Red Cross Blood Transfusion Service for INTERCEPT Blood Systems

CONCORD, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Cerus Corporation (Nasdaq:CERS) today announced it has been awarded a five-year tender by the Hong Kong Red Cross Blood Transfusion Services (BTS) for INTERCEPT Blood System for platelets. The Hong Kong Red Cross BTS is the only public institution providing blood to all hospitals, public and private, in Hong Kong.

“Following a thorough selection process, we are pleased to be selected by the Hong Kong Red Cross BTS to supply INTERCEPT Blood System for platelets,” said Pascal Maillard, Cerus’ vice president of commercial operations for the Asia Pacific region. “INTERCEPT for platelets provides a robust, broad-spectrum inactivation, reducing the risks of transfusion-transmitted infections and thereby enhancing patient care.”

“This is an important contract for Cerus,” continued Maillard. “The Hong Kong Red Cross BTS is a member of the influential Asia Pacific Blood Network (APBN) and a key opinion leader globally. This tender award presents a unique opportunity to expand the use of INTERCEPT in Asia-Pacific, a region that represents a significant market growth opportunity for Cerus.”

The tender award builds upon the prior experience of the Hong Kong Red Cross BTS with the INTERCEPT Blood System for platelets. The Hong Kong Red Cross BTS, in collaboration with the Queen Mary Hospital, conducted a clinical study successfully transfusing INTERCEPT treated platelet components prepared without leukocyte reduction, without bacterial screening, and without gamma irradiation to allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant (HSCT) patients (Sim, Tsoi et al. 2019).

“This innovative study conducted by the Hong Kong Red Cross BTS and Queen Mary Hospital has the potential to change how patients are supported with platelet transfusions,” said Dr. Laurence Corash, Cerus’ chief scientific officer. “The study indicated that INTERCEPT treatment could potentially replace leukocyte filtration, a common practice to reduce the incidence of febrile transfusion reactions, alloimmunization, and cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection. The INTERCEPT platelet system has already demonstrated widespread replacement of bacterial screening, gamma irradiation, and CMV serology in the EU and U.S.”

The Hong Kong Red Cross BTS recently completed renovations and is a state-of-the-art facility that manufactures approximately 40,000 platelet doses per year, a portion of which will be treated with INTERCEPT.

Sim, J., W. C. Tsoi, et al. (2019). "Transfusion of pathogen-reduced platelet components without leukoreduction." Transfusion 59(6): 1953-1961.

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 and follow us on LinkedIn.

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 Cerus’ belief that the INTERCEPT Blood System has the potential to change how patients are supported with platelet transfusions and to potentially replace leukocyte filtration, and other statements that are not historical facts. Actual results could differ materially from these forward-looking statements as a result of certain factors, including, without limitation: risks related to Cerus’ ability to demonstrate to the transfusion medicine community and other health care constituencies that pathogen reduction and the INTERCEPT Blood System is safe, effective and economical; the risk that applicable regulatory authorities and healthcare practitioners may disagree with Cerus‘ interpretations of the data from its clinical studies; 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 March 31, 2020, filed with the SEC on May 5, 2020. In addition, to the extent that the COVID-19 pandemic adversely affects Cerus’ business and financial results, it may also have the effect of heightening many of the other risks and uncertainties described above. Cerus disclaims any obligation or undertaking to update or revise any forward-looking statements contained in this press release.