Abbott (NYSE: ABT) announced today that it has been selected by the Japanese Red Cross Society (JRC) to partner in screening the country’s blood donations. The 8-year contract is for the exclusive supply of serological instrumentation, tests and consumables used for blood and plasma screening. The JRC screens approximately 5 million blood donations each year, helping ensure a safe supply of products needed for blood transfusions and plasma therapies. Abbott’s broad portfolio of products is used to screen more than 60 percent of the world’s blood and plasma supply.
This agreement was reached after an extensive evaluation by the JRC of commercially available products across numerous analytical and quality parameters. As part of the proposal, Abbott will provide the JRC with Abbott’s technology, leveraging the company’s decades of leadership in blood screening for infectious diseases, medical and scientific research and expertise in efficiency through lab automation. The JRC will screen each donation across eight distinct assays, including hepatitis and retrovirus analysis.
“Abbott is excited and proud to enter into a long-term partnership with the Japanese Red Cross, a global leader in blood and plasma screening,” said Lou Morrone, Vice President, Transfusion Medicine, Abbott. “This new collaboration will allow us to deliver proven technology to support them in their important mission of protecting patients by helping ensure the safety of their blood and plasma supply.”
