Pathogen Reduction for Platelets

A new pathogen-reduction system for blood components is designed to increase the availability and safety of the world blood supply.

A clinical study in 2004 measured the recovery and survival of platelets in healthy patients after treatment with the system, called Mirasol, compared to those patients with untreated platelets. A new study in France will monitor the platelet count of patients after each transfusion and will monitor patients for adverse events. The objective is to ensure that Mirasol maintains adequate platelet performance in a clinical setting and that the resulting product prevents or stops bleeding in patients comparable to current therapies. The study will also monitor patients for the incidence of any serious adverse events. None were observed in the 2004 study.

Gambro BCT (Stockholm, Sweden) is conducting the study. "The results of the recovery and survival trial, completed in 2004, surpassed our expectations, confirming that our research and development were on the right path,” said David Perez, president of Gambro BCT.

Mirasol was developed by Navigant Biotechnologies, a business area of Gambro BCT. "The initiation of this clinical trial represents the culmination of many years of work on the part of a large group of people dedicated to finding ways to improve blood safety,” noted Dr. Ray Goodrich, chief scientific officer for Navigant.

Mirasol applies riboflavin and light to reduce the pathogen load in blood products, rendering the affected pathogens inactive. This use of riboflavin and light is the first technology to show indications of effectiveness in all three major blood components: platelets, plasma, and red blood cells. In vitro studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of Mirasol on a broad range of viruses, bacteria, and parasites in all three blood components.




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Gambro BCT