Cerus Corporation Announces Health Canada Approval for INTERCEPT Blood System for Platelets with Seven-Day Storage

Extended Shelf Life Reflects Important Milestone toward Expanding Nationwide Footprint in Canada

CONCORD, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Cerus Corporation (Nasdaq:CERS) today announced it has received approval from Health Canada to extend the storage of platelets treated with the INTERCEPT Blood System from five days to seven days from the time of collection, joining other territories where INTERCEPT platelets are approved for seven-day storage.

“Today’s announcement expands the benefit of extended platelet shelf life to our Canadian blood center customers and the hospitals they serve,” stated Carol M. Moore, Cerus’ senior vice president, regulatory affairs and quality. “We believe the INTERCEPT Blood System for Platelets is an important tool for the transfusion medicine community for safeguarding the blood supply from known and emerging pathogens and also ensuring availability and minimizing waste. We look forward to working with Canadian Blood Services to realize these benefits for patients in Canada,” Ms. Moore concluded.

In May 2021, Cerus announced a contract with Canadian Blood Services to begin implementation of pathogen reduced platelets in the regions they serve, beginning with Ottawa during Fall 2021. With this Canadian regulatory approval for the extended shelf life, Canadian Blood Services now plans a broader implementation across its market.

“Following our adoption of INTERCEPT in Ottawa last year, we are happy that today’s announcement will help us drive towards our goal of full adoption of pathogen reduced platelets at all of our production sites,” said Dr. Graham D. Sher, Canadian Blood Services’ chief executive officer. “Having experienced several months of the INTERCEPT Blood System in action for some of our platelet production, we are excited that the extended shelf life will allow us to protect more of our platelet supply from a broad range of pathogens.”

Canadian Blood Services manufactures approximately 115,000 platelet doses annually.

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 production of Pathogen Reduced Cryoprecipitated 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.

About Canadian Blood Services

Canadian Blood Services is a not-for-profit charitable organization. Regulated by Health Canada as a biologics manufacturer and primarily funded by the provincial and territorial ministries of health, Canadian Blood Services operates with a national scope, infrastructure and governance that make it unique within Canadian healthcare. In the domain of blood, plasma, and stem cells, CBS provides products and services to hospitals on behalf of all provincial and territorial governments, except Quebec. The national transplant registry for interprovincial organ sharing and related programs reaches into all provinces and territories, as a biological lifeline for Canadians. For more information visit: blood.ca.