Cerus hits endpoints in Phase IIIs

CERS and partner Baxter (BAX) said that CERS's Intercept Plasma System and Intercept Platelet System met their respective primary endpoints in two Phase III studies. The products use psoralen S-59 light-activated compound to inactivate pathogens.

A double-blind Phase IIIb study compared Intercept Plasma to untreated plasma in 121 patients with coagulation defects. CERS said the primary endpoint of prothrombin and partial thromboplastin responses (measures of clotting function) achieved the trial's statistical threshold, showing that the ability of Intercept-plasma to treat bleeding was statistically comparable to that of untreated plasma. The two groups also had comparable safety profiles, CERS said. ...