Cerus and France Fortify Blood Safety with Four-Year INTERCEPT Pact

CONCORD, CA – April 27, 2026 – Cerus Corporation has renewed its long-standing commitment to safeguarding France's blood supply, announcing a new four-year supply agreement with Établissement Français du Sang (EFS), the French Blood Establishment. The deal ensures the continued use of the INTERCEPT Blood System for platelets and plasma and introduces the next-generation, LED-based INT200 illumination device, marking a significant step forward in transfusion safety for the nation.

“We are proud to announce a new four-year supply agreement with the French Blood Establishment,” said Christian Boutemy, Cerus’ vice president of international commercial operations, in the original announcement. “EFS has been a global leader in the adoption of pathogen inactivation technologies to help safeguard the blood supply and enhance patient safety. This agreement further underscores our shared, enduring commitment to ensuring safe transfusions for patients.”

A Cornerstone of European Blood Safety

The agreement solidifies a critical partnership in the European transfusion medicine landscape. EFS is not just a national blood service; it is a continental influencer, distributing approximately 330,000 units of platelets annually across its 13 regional centers in continental France and its overseas territories. With a history of INTERCEPT use dating back to 2006 and a full nationwide rollout in 2017, France has become the largest consumer of INTERCEPT-treated platelet components in the European Union.

This deep integration makes EFS a key validator of pathogen reduction technology. Its continued reliance on the INTERCEPT system sends a strong signal to other national blood services about the technology's efficacy and reliability. The EU's stringent regulations on blood product safety, overseen by bodies like the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), create a high bar for quality. EFS's procurement decisions and safety protocols often serve as a benchmark, influencing standards and adoption trends across the continent. This four-year commitment from such a prominent institution reinforces Cerus's dominant position in the pathogen inactivation market.

Proactive Defense Against Evolving Pathogen Threats

Beyond the business implications, the agreement highlights a crucial shift in public health strategy: moving from reactive screening to proactive protection. The global health landscape is fraught with emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases, from vector-borne illnesses like dengue, Zika, and chikungunya to novel viruses. Global travel and climate change accelerate the spread of these pathogens, creating a constant threat to the safety of the blood supply.

France's overseas territories, including La Réunion, Guadeloupe, and Martinique, have served as a real-world proving ground for this proactive approach. Outbreaks of chikungunya and Zika in these tropical regions posed a direct threat of transfusion-transmitted infections. The implementation of the INTERCEPT system was instrumental in maintaining a safe and available platelet supply during these public health crises, effectively neutralizing the viruses before they could be passed to vulnerable patients.

The benefits are also clear on the mainland. National hemovigilance data from France, collected between 2010 and 2019, reveals a significant improvement in platelet safety. During this period, not a single confirmed case of transfusion-transmitted bacterial infection was linked to INTERCEPT-treated platelets. This stands in stark contrast to conventional platelets, which saw multiple cases reported annually before the nationwide adoption. Furthermore, data shows a marked decline in the overall rate of transfusion reactions, a trend that accelerated significantly after INTERCEPT became the national standard in 2017.

Illuminating the Future with Advanced Technology

At the heart of this partnership is the INTERCEPT Blood System, a technology designed to provide a broad safety net. The system uses a synthetic compound, amotosalen, which binds to the DNA and RNA of pathogens and leukocytes. When exposed to UVA light, the amotosalen permanently cross-links these nucleic acids, preventing the cells and viruses from replicating and causing disease. This process is effective against a wide spectrum of viruses, bacteria, and parasites, while also serving as an approved alternative to gamma irradiation for preventing transfusion-associated graft-versus-host disease (TA-GvHD), a rare but often fatal complication.

The new agreement also ushers in the next generation of this technology with the INT200 illumination device. Developed with feedback from experienced users, the INT200 represents a significant leap in efficiency and usability. The device uses modern LED lighting and features a compact, vertical design that allows three units to occupy the same bench space as a single one of its predecessors. This space-saving design is critical for busy blood centers.

Furthermore, the INT200 enhances workflow with an intuitive touch screen, intelligent scanning capabilities, and an improved tray design for easier loading. By processing up to six plasma units or four platelet units per cycle, the device increases throughput, helping blood centers meet patient demand more efficiently. Its recent CE mark approval under the rigorous European Union Medical Device Regulation (MDR) validates its design and safety, paving the way for its integration into leading blood establishments like EFS.

Navigating a Dynamic Market with Proven Performance

Cerus operates in a competitive market with other technologies like Terumo BCT's Mirasol system and Macopharma's THERAFLEX system also vying for adoption. However, the INTERCEPT system remains the only pathogen reduction technology to have secured both the European CE mark and U.S. FDA approval for both platelets and plasma, giving it a unique regulatory and commercial advantage.

This latest agreement with EFS is a testament to the system's proven track record and underpins Cerus's strong financial outlook. The company reported product revenue of $206.1 million in 2025 and projects growth to between $224 million and $228 million for 2026. This financial stability enables continued investment in research and development, including its INTERCEPT red blood cell system, which is currently under regulatory review in Europe.

The long-term commitment from EFS reflects a broader global trend. As the risk of transfusion-transmitted infections continues to evolve, health authorities and blood centers are increasingly recognizing that a proactive, multi-pathogen defense is not a luxury, but a necessity for ensuring patient safety and maintaining public trust in the blood supply.