Chiron Corporation announced that the Procleix West Nile Virus Assay has identified 861 blood donations that are infected with the West Nile Virus (WNV).

The Procleix West Nile Virus (WNV) Assay is a highly sophisticated and sensitive blood-screening tool developed by Gen-Probe Incorporated and marketed by Chiron Corporation and the investigational-use-only assay was implemented at the beginning of the 2003 mosquito season. Since July 1, 2003, more than 80 per cent of the blood donations in the United States have been screened for WNV using the Procleix system, available in the United States, under an FDA-approved Investigational New Drug (IND) protocol. Chiron made the announcement during the American Association of Blood Banks annual meeting in San Diego.

"Blood is needed by someone in our country every two seconds. By identifying infected donations, we have potentially saved over a thousand people from receiving West Nile Virus, since most whole blood donations are separated into multiple components that can be transfused into as many as three different recipients," said Jim MacPherson, chief executive officer, America's Blood Centers. "This should give Americans increased peace of mind about preventing transmission of the virus through the blood supply."

"Once the West Nile Virus emerged as a threat to the blood supply in 2002, the FDA, manufacturers and the blood bank community worked in unprecedented collaboration to reduce the risk the virus presented," said Jack Goldstein, president, Chiron Blood Testing. "As a result, the Procleix WNV Assay was available under IND in record time. Chiron is committed, in cooperation with its partner Gen-Probe, to continuing to bring new products to market that will increase the safety of the blood supply, including the Procleix Ultrio Assay, which will add a hepatitis B assay to the existing Procleix HIV-1 and hepatitis C test. "

In October 2002, after several cases of WNV transmission were linked to blood transfusion, the FDA asked manufacturers of blood screening technologies to create a nucleic acid test (NAT) that could effectively screen donated blood for WNV. Chiron, and its collaborator Gen-Probe Incorporated, developed the Procleix WNV Assay in a record nine months, making it available in time for the 2003 mosquito season.