Under the agreement, Octapharma will use Haemonetics’s technology to separate plasma from donor blood at its US plasma collection centers.
Plasma is the source of numerous proteins used for drug development and therapeutic purposes. These proteins include albumin, clotting factors, and intravenous immunoglobulin.
Erik Clausen, CFO of Octapharma, said: “Octapharma has already started its partial vertical integration of owning plasma centers in Europe and the US, and it is our goal to source 50% of the plasma needed from our own centers by 2010. Through our US subsidiaries, Plasma Procurement Services will secure Octapharma’s supply of source plasma in the US and Octapharma is pleased to be expanding its relationship with Haemonetics.”