Cerus Higher Following Agreement With Blood Systems, Inc.

Shares of

, a biomedical products company, jumped higher by nearly 2 percent on Tuesday after the company announced a master agreement with Blood Systems, Inc. (BSI) for the use of

for platelets and plasma. BSI and its affiliates distribute 240,000 platelet and 380,000 plasma units annually to more than 700 hospitals across the US. "Through the Blood Systems Research Institute, BSI is a global leader with respect to research on transfusion-transmitted infectious diseases," commented William 'Obi' Greenman, Cerus' president and chief executive officer. "INTERCEPT pathogen reduction is closely aligned with BSI's mission of seeking out evidence-based strategies that reduce costs and improve patient safety and outcomes."