Cerus Corporation and the Swiss Red Cross Celebrate 10 Years of Routine Use of INTERCEPT Blood System for Platelets

The Swiss Red Cross is a global pioneer in the nationwide adoption of Cerus’ pathogen inactivation technology

CONCORD, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Cerus Corporation (Nasdaq: CERS), a company solely dedicated to safeguarding the global blood supply, and the Transfusion Service of the Swiss Red Cross (Blutspende SRK Schweiz) announced today the tenth anniversary of the use of the INTERCEPT Blood System for its entire platelet supply in Switzerland.

“We are honored to mark the tenth anniversary of the routine use of INTERCEPT platelets with our long-time partners at the Swiss Red Cross,” stated William ‘Obi’ Greenman, president and chief executive officer of Cerus Corporation. “The transfusion medicine community in Switzerland has long been vigilant with regard to blood safety and was among the earliest adopters of our technology at scale. The Swiss Red Cross recognized early on the value in implementing a proactive, ‘always on’ approach to increasing the safety of the country’s platelet supply. In this era of pandemic preparedness, we look forward to supporting their pioneering vision around blood safety and availability.”

Since the Swiss Red Cross implemented the INTERCEPT Blood System for platelets, Cerus has provided INTERCEPT platelet kits for approximately 400,000 transfusable platelet units in Switzerland with no reports of transfusion-transmitted infections, transfusion-associated sepsis cases, fatalities or other long-term adverse side effects observed. Additionally, hemovigilance data for Switzerland’s routine use of INTERCEPT platelets have shown no increase in the use of platelets to treat patients.

“Cerus and the INTERCEPT platform have been essential contributors to our success in providing for the safety and availability of the platelet supply in Switzerland over the last decade. The INTERCEPT System’s ability to inactivate bacteria has given us peace of mind in the ability to transfuse patients without the threat of contamination,” stated Bernhard Wegmüller, chairman and chief executive officer of the Swiss Red Cross Transfusion Service. “With emerging pathogens now fully recognized as a continued reality in medicine, we are further assured by the additional layer of safety that this technology provides for our patients receiving platelet transfusions,” Mr. Wegmüller continued.

“As the FDA compliance deadline for bacterial contamination of platelets comes upon us in the U.S., the experiences of blood centers that pioneered the use of our pathogen inactivation technology, like the Swiss Red Cross, have amassed a significant amount of experience with the INTERCEPT Blood System that supports its continued adoption globally. Active hemovigilance data encompassing many years of routine use by the SRK and others underscore the utility and reliability of the INTERCEPT Blood System in safeguarding the global blood supply,” added Mr. Greenman.

ABOUT CERUS

Cerus Corporation is dedicated solely to safeguarding the world’s blood supply and aims to become the preeminent global blood products company. Headquartered in Concord, California, the company develops and supplies vital technologies and pathogen-protected blood components to blood centers, hospitals, and ultimately patients who rely on safe blood. The INTERCEPT Blood System for platelets and plasma is available globally and remains the only pathogen reduction system with both CE mark and FDA approval for these two blood components. The INTERCEPT red blood cell system is under regulatory review in Europe, and in late-stage clinical development in the US. Also in the US, the INTERCEPT Blood System for Cryoprecipitation is approved for the production of INTERCEPT Fibrinogen Complex, a therapeutic product for the treatment and control of bleeding, including massive hemorrhage, associated with fibrinogen deficiency. 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.