- Blood banks in countries that accept the CE Mark* can now use this test to screen blood donations to detect the presence of the Zika virus, a measure that will increase the safety of blood transfusions
- The test is designed to be used in conjunction with the Procleix® Panther® system, a screening platform utilizing Nucleic Acid Testing (NAT) for fully automated blood testing
Barcelona, May 24, 2017 - Grifols (MCE: GRF, MCE: GRF.P and NASDAQ: GRFS), one of the world's leading producers of plasma-derived medicines, now provides European countries accepting products with the CE marking with a test to detect the presence of the Zika virus in donated blood. CE marking means a product conforms to relevant legislation for sale in the European economic area. The test is conducted using nucleic acid testing (NAT) on the Procleix® Panther® system automated platform and enables blood banks and donor centers to enhance the safety of their blood supplies.
In the U.S., the assay is currently being used under an Investigational New Drug (IND) protocol in response to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's recommendation to screen all U.S. blood donations for Zika virus. Hologic, a developer, manufacturer and supplier of diagnostic products, received acknowledgement from the FDA for the assay under an IND status in June 2016. In January 2017, Grifols acquired Hologic's business unit engaged in research, development and manufacture of assays and instruments based on NAT technology for blood screening, and became the only vertically integrated provider capable of offering comprehensive solutions to blood and plasma donation centers. This transaction is part of the growth strategy envisaged for the Diagnostic Division and enables Grifols to strengthen its leading position in NAT blood screening safety.
"The CE marking of the Procleix Zika virus assay is a further step in our mission to support safer blood donations, the result of our passion for innovation and the role we play as market leaders in transfusion medicine," said Grifols Diagnostic Division President, Carsten Schroeder.
NAT offers the capacity to detect the presence of infectious agents in blood and plasma donations, and contributes to increase safety in transfusion diagnostics.
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About Procleix NAT Solutions
The Grifols Procleix portfolio of nucleic acid testing (NAT) products are developed as part of a long-standing partnership between Hologic and Grifols. Today, Procleix systems are used to screen more blood donations around the world than any other NAT blood screening products, and include tests for HIV, hepatitis, West Nile virus and more.
The Procleix Panther system automates all aspects of NAT-based blood screening on a single, integrated platform. It eliminates the need for batch processing and combines walk-away freedom with intuitive design for ease of use. The system has received regulatory approvals in countries around the world, and is in development for the U.S. market.
About Zika Virus
According to the World Health Organization, Zika virus is an emerging mosquito-borne virus that was first identified in rhesus monkeys in Uganda in 1947 and in humans in 1952. Outbreaks of the Zika virus disease have been recorded in Africa, the Americas, Asia and the Pacific. Zika virus is transmitted to people primarily through the bite of an infected mosquito from the Aedes genus, mainly Aedes aegypti, in tropical regions. This is the same mosquito that transmits dengue, chikungunya and yellow fever. However, sexual transmission of Zika virus is also possible. Other modes of transmission such as blood transfusion and perinatal transmission are currently being investigated. In total, 64 countries and territories have reported transmission of Zika virus since January 1, 2007.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, local mosquito-borne Zika virus infections have been detected in Florida and Texas, and in US Territories there are reports in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and American Samoa.
About Grifols
Grifols is a global healthcare company with more than a 75-year legacy of improving people's health and well-being through the development of protein therapies, hospital pharmacy products and diagnostic technology for clinical use.
The company is present in more than 100 countries worldwide, with headquarters located in Barcelona, Spain. Grifols is a leader in plasma collection with a network of more than 170 plasma donation centers in the U.S., and is a leading producer of plasma-derived medicines. As a recognized leader in transfusion medicine, Grifols offers a comprehensive range of transfusion medicine, hemostasis, and immunoassay solutions for clinical laboratories, blood banks, and transfusion centers.
In 2016, sales exceeded 4,000 million euros with approximately 15,000 employees. Grifols demonstrates its commitment to advancing healthcare by allocating a significant portion of its annual income to R&D.
The company's class A shares are listed on the Spanish Stock Exchange, where they are part of the Ibex-35 (MCE: GRF). Its non-voting class B shares are listed on the Mercado Continuo (MCE: GRF.P) and on the U.S. NASDAQ via ADRs (NASDAQ: GRFS). For more information visit http://www.grifols.com.
Media Contacts:
Anna Gurney
Corporate Communications
Grifols
Anna.Gurney@Grifols.com
(919) 316-2128
Raquel Lumbreras
Duomo Comunicación
Grifols press office
raquel_lumbreras@duomocomunicacion.com
Tel. +34 91 311 92 89 - 90
*Product registration and availability vary by country, please contact your local Grifols representative.
Procleix is registered trademark of Grifols Worldwide Operations Limited.
Panther is registered trademark of Hologic Inc.
DG/NAT2/0317/0003