CONCORD, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 12, 2006--Cerus Corporation (NASDAQ:CERS) announced today the initiation of its Phase I clinical trial of the INTERCEPT red blood cell system, a proprietary system designed to improve blood safety by inactivating blood-borne pathogens in donated red blood cells for transfusion. The red blood cell system has been developed to target and inactivate blood-borne pathogens while leaving the therapeutic properties of red blood cells intact. An estimated 34 million units of red blood cells are transfused worldwide each year to treat various indications ranging from severe trauma to genetic disorders.
