GSABC Signs Long-Term Supply Agreement with Chiron

Group Services for America's Blood Centers (GSABC), has 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^® West Nile Virus Assay and the PROCLEIX^® 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 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.