BRAINTREE, Mass., Aug. 8 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Haemonetics Corporation and Canadian Blood Services announced today a long term contract under which Haemonetics will be the primary supplier of automated platelet and plasma collection systems for Canadian Blood Services. The agreement is effective immediately.
Under the agreement, Canadian Blood Services will utilize Haemonetics MCS(R)+ platelet collection systems for the majority of its automated platelet, or plateletpheresis, donations. Canadian Blood Services will begin the process of converting a number of its locations from a competitor’s system to Haemonetics’ system at the end of Haemonetics’ fiscal year (ending March 2007) and expects to complete the conversion process over fiscal 2008. Canadian Blood Services collects more than 26,000 units of apheresis platelets annually.
Also, under the agreement, Canadian Blood Services extended its contract for Haemonetics to be its exclusive supplier for automated plasma collections. Haemonetics and Canadian Blood Services have been partners in plasma collection in Canada for the past five years. Canadian Blood Services collects more than 50,000 units of apheresis plasma annually. The five year potential for incremental sales is $10 million.
John Grande, Vice President of Haemonetics’ Donor Division for North America, said, “We are excited that Canadian Blood Services has chosen Haemonetics as its primary supplier of automated blood collection systems. This is a large, important first win for us as we execute to our strategy to grow market share in the North American platelet collection market. We look forward to supporting Canadian Blood Services in its efforts to provide the safest and highest quality blood to Canadian patients.”
Ian Mumford, Chief Operating Officer of Canadian Blood Services, said, “We are also pleased to be extending and growing our relationship with Haemonetics. In addition to its multi-component blood collection system, Haemonetics provides a value proposition to us in quality and support. We will work together to ensure the ongoing success and growth of Canadian Blood Service’s automated collection program.”
Canadian Blood Services is a national, not-for-profit charitable organization that manages the blood supply in all provinces and territories outside of Quebec and oversees the country’s Unrelated Bone Marrow Donor Registry. Canadian Blood Services operates 41 permanent collection sites and more than 19,000 donor clinics annually.
Haemonetics is a global company engaged in the design, manufacture and worldwide marketing of automated blood processing systems. These systems address important medical markets: surgical blood salvage, blood component collection, plasma collection, and blood component safety. To learn more about Haemonetics’ products and markets, visit its web site at http://www.haemonetics.com.
This release contains forward looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, including technological advances in the medical field and standards for transfusion medicine and our ability to successfully implement products that incorporate such advances and standards, product demand, market acceptance, regulatory uncertainties, the effect of economic and political conditions, the impact of competitive products and pricing, blood product reimbursement policies and practices, foreign currency exchange rates, changes in customers’ ordering patterns, the effect of industry consolidation as seen in the plasma market, the effect of communicable diseases and the effect of uncertainties in markets outside the U.S. (including Europe and Asia) in which we operate and other risks detailed in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The foregoing list should not be construed as exhaustive. The forward-looking statements are based on estimates and assumptions made by management of the Company and are believed to be reasonable, though are inherently uncertain and difficult to predict. Actual results and experience could differ materially from the forward-looking statements.
CONTACT: Julie Fallon Tel. (781) 356-9517 Alternate Tel. (617) 320-2401 fallon@haemonetics.com
Haemonetics Corporation
CONTACT: Julie Fallon of Haemonetics Corporation, +1-781-356-9517, or+1-617-320-2401, fallon@haemonetics.com
Web site: http://www.haemonetics.com/
