WASHINGTON, May 11 -Group Services for America's Blood Centers (GSABC), today announced that it had signed a multi-year agreement with Chiron, a business unit of Novartis Vaccines and Diagnostics, for the purchase of the PROCLEIX(R) West Nile Virus Assay and the PROCLEIX(R) HIV- 1/HCV Assay. The agreement extends the existing supply contract with Chiron, providing members of America's Blood Centers continued access to assays that have intercepted thousands of infected blood samples since their approval by the FDA.
"We are very pleased to have reached this new agreement with Chiron," said Jerry Haarmann, president of the newly formed group purchasing organization. "Ensuring a safe and reliable blood supply is a critical priority for us. This new agreement means that our members will continue to provide more than 4,200 hospitals and healthcare facilities across North America with blood products screened with the most sensitive technology currently available on the market."
The PROCLEIX nucleic acid tests incorporate state-of-the-art nucleic acid testing (NAT) technology to detect viral RNA and DNA in donated blood and plasma during the very early stages of infection, when those infectious agents are present but cannot be detected by immunodiagnostic tests. The tests were developed in collaboration between Chiron and Gen-Probe Incorporated.
About GSABC
Group Services for America's Blood Centers is a cooperative wholly owned by ABC, providing group purchasing enterprise expertise and resource sharing services to ABC members.
About ABC
Founded in 1962, America's Blood Centers is North America's largest network of community-based blood programs. Seventy-seven blood centers operate more than 600 collection sites in 45 U.S. states and Canada, providing half of the United States, and all of Canada's volunteer donor blood supply. These blood centers serve more than 180 million people and provide blood products and services to more than 4,200 hospitals and health care facilities across North America. ABC's U.S. members are licensed and regulated by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration. Canadian members are regulated by Health Canada.
