Michael Barbella, Managing Editor01.04.23
Health Canada has approved a two-day storage extension for platelets treated with Cerus Corporation's INTERCEPT Blood System.
With the extension (five days to seven days from the time of collection), Canada joins other areas where INTERCEPT platelets are approved for seven-day storage.
“This 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 contracted with Canadian Blood Services to implement pathogen reduced platelets in the regions served, beginning with Ottawa in the fall 2021. The approval for extended shelf life enables Canadian Blood Services to plan a broader implementation across its market.
“Following our adoption of INTERCEPT in Ottawa, we are happy that this will help us drive towards our goal of full adoption of pathogen reduced platelets at all of our production sites,” Canadian Blood Services CEO Dr. Graham D. Sher said. “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.
Cerus Corporation is dedicated to safeguarding the world’s blood supply. Headquartered in Concord, Calif., the company develops and supplies vital technologies and pathogen-protected blood components to blood centers, hospitals, and 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 U.S. Food and Drug Administration 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 United States. Also in the United States, 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.
INTERCEPT and the INTERCEPT Blood System are trademarks of Cerus Corporation.
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. 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.
With the extension (five days to seven days from the time of collection), Canada joins other areas where INTERCEPT platelets are approved for seven-day storage.
“This 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 contracted with Canadian Blood Services to implement pathogen reduced platelets in the regions served, beginning with Ottawa in the fall 2021. The approval for extended shelf life enables Canadian Blood Services to plan a broader implementation across its market.
“Following our adoption of INTERCEPT in Ottawa, we are happy that this will help us drive towards our goal of full adoption of pathogen reduced platelets at all of our production sites,” Canadian Blood Services CEO Dr. Graham D. Sher said. “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.
Cerus Corporation is dedicated to safeguarding the world’s blood supply. Headquartered in Concord, Calif., the company develops and supplies vital technologies and pathogen-protected blood components to blood centers, hospitals, and 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 U.S. Food and Drug Administration 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 United States. Also in the United States, 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.
INTERCEPT and the INTERCEPT Blood System are trademarks of Cerus Corporation.
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. 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.