CONCORD, Calif., Jan 17, 2007 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Cerus Corporation (NASDAQ:CERS) today announced that the French
regulatory agency for medical products, the Agence Francaise de
Securite Sanitaire des Produits de Sante (AFSSAPS) has granted
regulatory approval in France for use of plasma treated with the
INTERCEPT Blood System, subject to official journal publication.
Before the plasma system can be launched broadly in France,
reimbursement pricing also needs to be established.
"This approval marks a significant step towards commercializing
our plasma system in France," said Claes Glassell, president and chief
executive officer, Cerus Corporation. "We are pleased that the AFSSAPS
approved the plasma system so quickly."
ABOUT THE PLASMA SYSTEM
The INTERCEPT Blood System for plasma is designed to provide
increased protection to the blood supply from emerging pathogens, such
as West Nile virus and Chikungunya virus, and to offer blood centers a
better solution for meeting plasma production needs.
The efficacy and safety of INTERCEPT plasma system was evaluated
in transfusions comprising approximately 5,000 units. The plasma
system is designed to meet blood center requirements for efficiency,
performance and compatibility with both whole blood and apheresis
collections.
Approximately 1.5 million plasma units for transfusion are
collected annually in Europe. About 70% of those units undergo
pathogen inactivation treatment or quarantine to meet European
standards for plasma safety.
ABOUT CERUS
Cerus Corporation is a biopharmaceutical company that develops and
commercializes novel, proprietary products in the fields of blood
safety and immunotherapy to provide safer, more effective medical
options to patients in areas of substantial unmet medical needs. In
the field of blood safety, the company is developing and
commercializing the INTERCEPT Blood System, which is based on the
company's proprietary Helinx technology and is designed to enhance the
safety of donated blood components by inactivating viruses, bacteria,
parasites and other pathogens, as well as potentially harmful white
blood cells. In the field of immunotherapy, the company is employing
its proprietary attenuated Listeria vaccine platform to develop a
series of novel therapies to treat cancer, and it is applying its
proprietary Killed But Metabolically Active technology platform in
research and development of prophylactic and therapeutic vaccines for
infectious diseases.
INTERCEPT, INTERCEPT Blood System and Helinx are trademarks of
Cerus Corporation.
SOURCE: Cerus Corporation
Cerus Corporation
Myesha Edwards, 925-288-6017
(Corporate Communications & Investor Relations)
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