Cerus Enrolls First Patient in PIPER Study

Cerus Corporation (NASDAQ:CERS) has enrolled its first patient in the Phase IV INTERCEPT Platelets Entering Routine Use (PIPER) study at the Smilow Cancer Hospital at Yale-New Haven.
According to the press release:

The PIPER study is expected to enroll approximately 3,000 patients at a targeted 15 – 20 U.S. hospitals.
“Smilow Cancer Hospital at Yale New-Haven, as a leading U.S. cancer hospital, is dedicated to providing our patients with the best care available,” said Edward Snyder, MD, Professor of Laboratory Medicine and Director of Transfusion/Apheresis/Tissue Implantation Services. “We recognize the risks faced by these immunosuppressed patients and believe that our participation in the PIPER study will allow us to learn more about platelet transfusions and pulmonary events in this seriously ill patient population, as well as to provide the highest level of transfusion safety.”
Yale Cancer Center is one of 45 National Cancer Institute designated comprehensive cancer centers in the U.S., and is Connecticut’s largest cancer care provider, participating in over 150 cancer-focused clinical trials. The Yale team is led by Eric Gehrie, MD and Jeanne Hendrickson, MD in addition to Dr. Snyder. “The Yale team looks forward to our collaboration with Cerus on this Phase IV study,” commented Dr. Snyder.
The PIPER study will monitor the transfusion of conventional and INTERCEPT-treated platelets in hematology/oncology patients, including those undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplant, who are expected to require one or more platelet component transfusions. PIPER will evaluate the incidence of severe pulmonary adverse events requiring assisted mechanical ventilation, a clinical concern in transfusion medicine as it relates to repeated platelet transfusions in patient populations at risk for lung injury.

Click here to read the full press release.