Baxter Healthcare signs agreement for new blood study

Baxter Healthcare has announced it has joined Gambro BCT in a new post-market surveillance study designed to speed up the adoption of the seven-day blood platelet protocol, which allows blood to be available for use longer than the standard five-day limit.

It follows FDA approval of Baxter’s plan to store blood for seven days in its PL 2410 storage container with a microbe detection system. The original five-day limit was imposed to limit the chances of bacteria infecting blood over time.

The study, entitled PASSPORT, is intended demonstrate to the FDA that the products are fulfilling their targets as they are marketed and Baxter has joined with Gambro BCT, a blood component technology company, to speed up the collection of blood platelets.

The general manager of Baxter’s transfusion therapies business, Kevin McCulloch, said: “By collaborating with Gambro BCT on the PASSPORT study we hope to make it faster and easier for blood centres and the industry to implement seven-day platelets and increase availability of this critical blood component.”

David Perez, president of Gambro BCT, added: “Since both companies will contribute to the 50,000 collections required rather than completing two separate studies, the agreement will dramatically shorten the time required to complete the study.”

According to Guidelines for the Blood Trasfusion Services in the UK, the storage of blood components in Britain depends on what treatments – if any – they have had to extend its shelf life. It says the maximum shelf life of any blood component like platelets must not exceed the expiry date of the oldest constituent component.

© Adfero Ltd