Printer Friendly
The Free Library
14,503,119 articles and books
Member login
User name  
Password 
 
Join us Forgot password?

New Results Validating Pall Prion Reduction Filter Disclosed at International Blood Transfusion Congress.


ATHENS, Greece -- Safety in transfusion medicine is an ongoing challenge to blood services worldwide as new threats, such as variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (vCJD), emerge. An update on the latest measures to protect the public from the human form of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy bovine spongiform encephalopathy: see prion.  (BSE See Bombay Stock Exchange.

BSE

See Boston Stock Exchange (BSE).
), commonly called Mad Cow Disease mad cow disease: see prion.
mad cow disease
 or bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE)

Fatal neurodegenerative disease of cattle. Symptoms include behavioral changes (e.g.
, and minimize risk of transmission through blood transfusion was presented here at the International Society of Blood Transfusion The International Society of Blood Transfusion (ISBT) is a scientific society, founded in 1935, which aims to promote the study of blood transfusion, and to spread the know-how about the manner in which blood transfusion medicine and science best can serve the patient's interests.  Congress. At the "Safety in Transfusion Medicine" symposium, Pall Corporation (NYSE NYSE

See: New York Stock Exchange
: PLL) released new research results further validating the performance of its Leukotrap(R) Affinity Prion prion (prī`ŏn), infectious agent thought to cause a group of diseases known as

prion diseases or transmissible spongiform encephalopathies.
 Reduction Filter System, which was CE marked with a 99.9 percent prion removal efficiency in May 2005. It is the first technology that reduces infectious prions from red cells, the most widely transfused blood component. Abnormal prions are believed to be the causative agent of vCJD.

The status of evaluations of the new filter system by blood authorities in Europe were also reported. Both the Irish Blood Transfusion Service The Irish Blood Transfusion Service (IBTS), or Seirbhís Fuilaistriúcháin na hÉireann in Irish, was established in the Republic of Ireland as the Blood Transfusion Service Board (BTSB  (IBTS IBTS Irish Blood Transfusion Service
IBTS International Baptist Theological Seminary (Czech Republic)
IBTS Institute for Building Technology and Safety
IBTS Individual Battle Task Standards (Canada) 
) and the English National Blood Service (NBS (National Bureau of Standards) See NIST.

NBS - National Bureau of Standards: part of the US Department of Commerce, now NIST.
) are currently evaluating the filter system for integration into their respective practices to safeguard the blood supply from vCJD. Final results of these evaluations are expected by end 2005 or early 2006.

According to Dr. William Murphy, Medical Director of the IBTS, which just completed the first phase of its evaluation, "IBTS has completed laboratory evaluation of the filter; handling of the system is very straight forward and we are planning clinical studies in the coming months."

Dr. Roger Eglin, Head of the National Transfusion Microbiology Laboratory of the NBS, discussed the incidence and risk of vCJD transmission by blood transfusion. He reviewed the role of new technologies to reduce the risk of transfusion transmission of prions, noting that a potential impending im·pend  
intr.v. im·pend·ed, im·pend·ing, im·pends
1. To be about to occur: Her retirement is impending.

2.
 approach is filtration.

He also discussed the status of blood donor testing to detect vCJD. Although tests are in development by several companies, no solutions are likely in the short-term. He reviewed the complexity of developing accurate and reliable tests that would meet the required criteria including sensitivity and specificity. The implementation of donor screening would be problematic without the availability of confirmatory assays to inform discussions with potentially infected donors.

Prion Reduction Confirmed

Sam Coker, Ph.D., Principle Scientist of Pall Corporation, released new research results that further support the performance of the Leukotrap Affinity Prion Reduction Filter System. The study, conducted with the Departments of Neurology, Psychiatry and Pathology of the New York University New York University, mainly in New York City; coeducational; chartered 1831, opened 1832 as the Univ. of the City of New York, renamed 1896. It comprises 13 schools and colleges, maintaining 4 main centers (including the Medical Center) in the city, as well as the  School of Medicine, tested the filter against sporadic CJD CJD
abbr.
Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease


CJD Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, see there
. Sporadic CJD is the most common form of prion disease that affects humans. The new research showed a 99.9 percent reduction of the prion.

"This study, a first with an actual human form of prion disease, provides additional confirmation of the performance of our technology to remove all types of prions that can adversely affect people," said Dr. Coker. The sporadic CJD study is the latest in a series of studies of the filter's capability in reducing prions, including scrapie scrapie: see prion.  (a prion disease affecting sheep) and mouse-adapted human vCJD. He also reviewed results of new studies that found the filter effectively reduced prions under a range of different blood processing conditions, which may vary by country and blood center.

Allan Ross, President of Pall Medical, who opened the symposium, noted that concerns about vCJD are not limited to the UK and Europe, but that the disease has manifested itself in many countries around the globe. A total of 177 people have died or been diagnosed with vCJD in Britain, Ireland, France, Canada, Italy, Portugal, the Netherlands, Japan and the U.S. This past month France identified its 13th person with vCJD and Portugal announced its first suspected human case. The UK Haemophilia Society also issued a warning to 6,000 people with hemophilia that they could have caught the disease through infected blood. In the U.S., a second cow just tested positive for BSE.

"Considering the lengthy, asymptomatic incubation period of vCJD in people, no one can accurately determine the magnitude of the next wave of an outbreak. Nor do we know how many people may be harboring the infectious prions and also donating blood," Ross explained. "Our goal is to work with blood authorities across Europe and then North America to help them integrate this new measure of safety into blood processing."

Pall developed the prion reduction technology to help blood authorities around the world stop the transmission of prions as part of the Company's mission to help safeguard the global blood supply. The adoption of the new prion reduction filter has the potential to support the global public health need for adequate supplies of safe blood. Pall is continuing its prion research and development program to apply its technologies to meet the specific requirements of each nation starting in Europe, the epicenter of vCJD, followed by North America. The Company is also developing an ante mortem test to detect infectious prions in cattle prior to entering the food supply.

About Pall Corporation

Pall Corporation is the global leader in the rapidly growing field of filtration, separations and purification. Pall's business is organized around two broad markets: Life Sciences and Industrial. The Company provides leading-edge products to meet the demanding needs of customers in biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, transfusion medicine, semiconductors, water purification, aerospace and broad industrial markets. Total revenues for fiscal 2004 were $1.8 billion. The Company headquarters are in East Hills, New York East Hills is a village in Nassau County, New York on the North Shore of Long Island. It is considered part of the Greater Roslyn area, which is anchored by the Village of Roslyn. As of the United States 2000 Census, the village population was 6,842.  with extensive operations throughout the world. Visit Pall at http://www.pall.com/.

Forward Looking Statements

This release contains "forward-looking statements" as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (PSLRA) implemented several significant substantive changes affecting certain cases brought under the federal securities laws, including changes related to pleading, discovery, liability, class representation and awards fees and  of 1995. These statements are based on current Company expectations and are subject to risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates; regulatory approval and market acceptance of new technologies; changes in product mix and product pricing and in interest rates and cost of raw materials; the Company's success in enforcing its patents and protecting its proprietary products and manufacturing techniques and its ability to achieve the savings anticipated from its cost reduction initiatives; global and regional economic conditions and legislative, regulatory and political developments; and domestic and international competition in the Company's global markets. Additional information regarding these and other factors is available on the Web at www.pall.com and is included in the Company's reports filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Copies of such reports can be obtained, without charge, at www.sec.gov.

Management uses certain non-GAAP measurements to assess Pall's current and future financial performance. The non-GAAP measurements do not replace the presentation of Pall's GAAP GAAP

See: Generally Accepted Accounting Principles


GAAP

See generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP).
 financial results. These measurements provide supplemental information to assist management in analyzing Pall's financial position and results of operations. Pall has chosen to provide this information to facilitate meaningful comparisons of past, present and future operating results and as a means to emphasize the results of on-going operations.

Editor's Note:

The ISBT ISBT International Society of Blood Transfusion
ISBT International Society of Beverage Technologists
ISBT Integrated Science, Business, and Technology
ISBT Interstate Bus Terminus (Delhi)
ISBT International School of Bowen Therapy
 conference runs from July 2 though 6 at the International Conference Center, Megaron megaron

In ancient Greece and the Middle East, an architectural form consisting of a porch, vestibule, and large hall with a central hearth. The megaron was found in all Mycenaean palaces and also in houses.
 the Athens Concert Hall The Athens Concert Hall (Greek: "Μέγαρο Μουσικής Αθηνών" Megaro Moussikis Athinon) is a concert hall located in Athens on Vassilissis Sofias Avenue which first opened in 1991 with  in Athens, Greece. Dr. Coker and Allan Ross are available for interviews. Additional information on prion diseases, vCJD and blood transfusion and prion reduction technology are available at http://www.pall.com/medical_prion_reduction.asp
COPYRIGHT 2005 Business Wire
No portion of this article can be reproduced without the express written permission from the copyright holder.
Copyright 2005, Gale Group. All rights reserved. Gale Group is a Thomson Corporation Company.

 Reader Opinion

Title:

Comment:



 

Article Details
Printer friendly Cite/link Email Feedback
Publication:Business Wire
Geographic Code:1USA
Date:Jul 4, 2005
Words:1222
Previous Article:AMD Motion for Leave to Serve Document Preservation Subpoenas Granted by U.S. District Court; Delaware Court Affirms AMD's Right to Document...
Next Article:LG.Philips LCD Becomes First TFT-LCD Industry Player to Receive Internationally Recognized Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) Certification.
Topics:



Related Articles
JAPAN SETS POLICY FOR UNIVERSAL LEUKOCYTE FILTRATION.
PALL DEBUTS NEW SYSTEM TO DETECT PLATELET CONTAMINATION.
Pall Breathing Filters Validated as a Prion Transmission Barrier; Eases Growing Concern About Transmission of variant CJD During Anesthesia...
Novel Technology That Reduces Infectious Prions `Mad Cow Disease' from Blood Unveiled at International Transfusion Meeting.
First Technology to Remove Prions that Cause vCJD From Blood Launched; CE Marking of Pall Filter Heralds a New Era in Transfusion Safety.
Pall and Fresenius Kabi Enter Agreement to Accelerate Adoption of Prion Reduction Technology.
Studies Validating Performance of Pall Prion Reduction Technology Presented at AABB.
Pall Prion Removal Technology Presented to FDA Advisory Committee on Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies; Protecting the Blood Supply from...
Study on Prion Removal from Blood Published in Transfusion; Research Finds Pall Filtration Technology Effective in Removing Prions that can Cause...
Better blood: new tool removes agent of brain disease.(This Week)

Terms of use | Copyright © 2009 Farlex, Inc. | Feedback | For webmasters | Submit articles