First Patient Enrolled in Cerus' Phase IV PIPER Study

Cerus Corporation

, a biomedical products company focused on improving blood transfusion safety, today announced that Smilow Cancer Hospital at Yale-New Haven has enrolled the first patient in the Phase IV INTERCEPT Platelets Entering Routine Use (PIPER) study, a prospective, open-label, non-inferiority, post-marketing surveillance study. The PIPER study is expected to enroll approximately 3,000 patients at a targeted 15 - 20 U.S. hospitals. "Smilow Cancer Hospital at Yale New-Haven, as a leading U.S. cancer hospital, is dedicated to providing our patients with the best care available," said Edward Snyder, MD, Professor of Laboratory Medicine and Director of Transfusion/Apheresis/Tissue Implantation Services. "We recognize the risks faced by these immunosuppressed patients and believe that our participation in the PIPER study will allow us to learn more about platelet transfusions and pulmonary events in this seriously ill patient population, as well as to provide the highest level of transfusion safety." Yale Cancer Center is one of 45 National Cancer Institute designated comprehensive cancer centers in the U.S., and is Connecticut's largest cancer care provider, participating in over 150 cancer-focused clinical trials. The Yale team is led by Eric Gehrie, MD and Jeanne Hendrickson, MD in addition to Dr. Snyder. "The Yale team looks forward to our collaboration with Cerus on this Phase IV study," commented Dr. Snyder. The PIPER study will monitor the transfusion of conventional and INTERCEPT-treated platelets in hematology/oncology patients, including those undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplant, who are expected to require one or more platelet component transfusions. PIPER will evaluate the incidence of severe pulmonary adverse events requiring assisted mechanical ventilation, a clinical concern in transfusion medicine as it relates to repeated platelet transfusions in patient populations at risk for lung injury. "We appreciate Smilow Cancer Hospital's leadership in this study," said Dr. Laurence Corash, Cerus' Chief Scientific Officer. "PIPER's unique design will allow Cerus to expand our large portfolio of safety data for routine use of INTERCEPT-treated platelets." "There has been a strong level of interest in participation in PIPER across leading U.S. cancer hospitals. Physicians recognize the continued infectious risks associated with platelet transfusions, as well as the opportunity to reduce these risks afforded by pathogen reduced platelets," said William 'Obi' Greenman, Cerus' President and Chief Executive Officer. "Patient safety is of utmost importance for hematology/oncology patients enrolling in PIPER." The INTERCEPT Blood System for platelets and plasma has been used in European blood centers for over a decade. The INTERCEPT Blood System received FDA approval in December 2014. The INTERCEPT Blood System leverages the understanding that platelets and plasma do not require functional DNA or RNA, as opposed to pathogens and donor white blood cells. Pathogen reduction with the INTERCEPT Blood System is designed to block the replication process so that harmful viruses, bacteria, and parasites can no longer replicate and cause disease.