"Cerus is committed to offering an inactivation treatment that is not only highly effective against pathogens, but also cost-effective and user-friendly for blood centers," said Claes Glassell, president and CEO of Cerus Corporation. "We believe that INTERCEPT pathogen inactivation is already an affordable solution for improved blood safety. The further cost-savings resulting from the double-dose platelet processing set will make INTERCEPT an even more attractive choice compared to alternative blood safety technologies such as bacterial detection."

The double-dose platelet processing set facilitates economical treatment and storage of double-dose platelet collections, which are estimated to account for approximately half of European apheresis platelet collections, and for the majority (60 - 100%) of apheresis collections in key markets such as Germany, UK, Ireland, Switzerland and the United States. Double-dose procedures help blood centers maximize yield from their donor pools and reduce their operating costs by collecting the equivalent of two platelet doses during a single donation. The new platelet set can also be used to treat double-dose units prepared from whole blood-derived platelet pools.

Bacterial contamination of platelets is the most frequent transfusion-transmitted infection, with an estimated contamination rate of approximately one in 2000 platelet units. Platelet recipients often receive multiple transfusions, potentially increasing a patient's risk of receiving contaminated platelets to one in several hundred. Though other blood components may also harbor bacteria, platelets carry special risk due to room-temperature storage that allows bacteria to multiply in the interval between collection and transfusion. The INTERCEPT Blood System inactivates high levels of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, as well as providing protection against a broad range of other transfusion-transmitted pathogens and also white blood cells.

ABOUT THE INTERCEPT BLOOD SYSTEM

The INTERCEPT Blood System is designed to reduce the risk of transfusion-transmitted diseases by inactivating a broad range of known and emerging pathogens, including viruses, bacteria and parasites, as well as harmful white blood cells that may be present in donated blood intended for transfusion. The system inactivates pathogens using a proprietary illumination device, process and active compound. The INTERCEPT Blood System is designed for easy integration with routine blood center operations, and treated platelets are approved for storage up to seven days according to local guidelines. The INTERCEPT Blood System has received CE mark approvals for both the platelet and plasma systems, and may replace gamma irradiation for protection against transfusion-associated graft-vs.-host disease. The INTERCEPT Blood System has customers in 18 countries.

ABOUT CERUS

Cerus Corporation is a biomedical products company focused on commercializing the INTERCEPT Blood System to enhance blood safety. Cerus currently markets the INTERCEPT Blood System for both platelets and plasma in Europe and the Middle East. The company is also pursuing regulatory approvals in the United States and other countries. The INTERCEPT red blood cell system is currently in clinical development.

INTERCEPT and the INTERCEPT Blood System are trademarks of Cerus Corporation.

This press release contains forward-looking statements.Any statements contained in this press release that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, statements regarding the costs savings benefit of double-dose platelet sets and market acceptance of the Company's product.Actual results could differ materially from these forward-looking statements as a result of certain factors, including, without limitation, risks associated with the commercialization and market acceptance of the INTERCEPT Blood System, as well as other risks detailed in the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the Company's Annual Report of Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2008.No pathogen inactivation system has been shown to inactivate all pathogens.You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release.The company does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements as a result of new information, future events, changed assumptions or otherwise.

SOURCE: Cerus Corporation

Cerus Corporation
William J. Dawson, 925-288-6053
Vice President, Finance & CFO