Legislative Update

March 16, 2022

Cerus Encouraged by the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) FY2022 Consideration of Pathogen Reduced Resuscitative Products for Clinical Guidelines to Treat Obstetric Hemorrhage

Each year, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) is enacted and includes language that evaluates and revises the funds and policies that impact the U.S. Armed Services. The goal of the NDAA is to ensure U.S. troops have the necessary resources to carry out their duties successfully. The FY2022 NDAA, signed into law by President Biden on December 27, 2021, places an emphasis on improving the lives of U.S. service members, and their families, with a focus on maternal health.

Massive bleeding from postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) is one of the leading causes of maternal mortality in the US. With PPH occurring in 3% of all pregnancies, a U.S.-based study found that over 15% of women experiencing PPH will require a blood transfusion.1,2 Section 707 of the FY2022 NDAA specifically aims to improve postpartum care through establishing clinical guidelines regarding the provision of postpartum care in military medical treatment facilities. The NDAA specifies that such guidelines address the treatment of obstetric hemorrhage, including the use of pathogen reduced resuscitative products.

The majority of active-duty females and military spouses fall into the childbearing age range.3 Clinical practice guidelines to reduce maternal mortality through obstetric hemorrhage is crucial. With PPH trends increasing among women in the U.S.,1 the FY2022 NDAA consideration of pathogen reduced blood products further exemplifies the U.S. Armed Services’ dedication and commitment to improving the lives of those who serve and their families.

Cerus’ INTERCEPT® Blood System produces blood products including Pathogen Reduced Cryoprecipitated Fibrinogen Complex (INTERCEPT® Fibrinogen Complex) and Pathogen Reduced (psoralen treated) Platelets (INTERCEPT® Platelets), which are both FDA approved and available across the U.S. for treatment of hemorrhage and other conditions.

To learn more about INTERCEPT® Fibrinogen Complex, visit www.INTERCEPTFibrinogenComplex.com.

To learn more about INTERCEPT® Platelets, visit https://hcp.intercept-usa.com/.

For more information about Cerus, visit www.cerus.com and follow us on LinkedIn.

 

1. Marshall, A. L., Durani, U., Bartley, A., Hagen, C. E., Ashrani, A., Rose, C., Go, R. S., & Pruthi, R. K. (2018). The impact of postpartum hemorrhage on hospital length of stay and inpatient mortality: A national inpatient sample-based analysis. Obstetric Anesthesia Digest, 38(2), 66–67. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.aoa.0000532256.61763.3c
2. Thurn, L., Wikman, A., Westgren, M., & Lindqvist, P. G. (2019). Incidence and risk factors of transfusion reactions in postpartum blood transfusions. Blood Advances, 3(15), 2298–2306. https://doi.org/10.1182/bloodadvances.2019000074
3. Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Military Community and Family Policy. (2020). Demographics: Profile of the Military Community. Department of Defense. https://download.militaryonesource.mil/12038/MOS/Reports/2020-demographics-report.pdf