Cerus has entered into a two-year agreement to supply its Intercept Blood System for both platelets and plasma to the French national blood service - the Etablissement Francais du Sang (EFS).
As per the agreement, over the initial two-year period, EFS will purchase at least 50,000 platelet kits and 65,000 plasma kits.
EFS may also purchase additional kits up to a maximum of 112,800 platelet kits and 285,000 plasma kits, during the two-year period.
The Intercept system inactivates viruses, bacteria and parasites present in donated blood and reduces the risk of transfusion-transmitted diseases.
The nucleic acid targeting mechanism of action inactivates hepatitis B and C, HIV, West Nile virus and bacteria, and is designed to inactivate emerging pathogens such as influenza, malaria and dengue.