cerus corporation is a biomedical products company focused on commercializing the intercept blood system to enhance blood safety. the intercept system is designed to reduce the risk of transfusion-transmitted diseases by inactivating a broad range of pathogens such as viruses, bacteria and parasites that may be present in donated blood. the nucleic acid targeting mechanism of action enables intercept treatment to inactivate established transfusion threats, such as hepatitis b and c, hiv, west nile virus and bacteria, and is designed to inactivate emerging pathogens such as influenza, malaria and dengue. cerus currently markets and sells the intercept blood system for both platelets and plasma in europe, russia, the middle east and selected countries in other regions around the world. the intercept red blood cell system is in clinical development.