Benzinga | Aug 10, 2021 02:16PM EDT

Cerus Reports US Centers For Medicare, Medicaid Services Granted Permanent Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System Level II Codes For Pathogen Reduced Crypoprecipitated Fibrinogen Complex

Cerus Corporation (NASDAQ:CERS) today announced that the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has granted permanent Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) Level II codes for Pathogen Reduced

Cerus Corporation (NASDAQ:CERS) today announced that the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has granted permanent Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) Level II codes for Pathogen Reduced Cryoprecipitated Fibrinogen Complex, or INTERCEPT Fibrinogen Complex (IFC), and Pathogen Reduced Plasma, Cryoprecipitate Reduced. These new P-codes, P9026 and P9025, respectively, are effective October 1, 2021.

"By providing a means for hospitals to bill for Cerus' recently-approved products in the hospital outpatient setting, CMS' decision to establish these new codes enables provider and patient access to continued innovation in transfusion medicine," said Jessica Hanover, Ph.D., Cerus' vice president, corporate affairs. "We are pleased that these codes will facilitate hospital utilization of our new pathogen reduced blood products, which address critical unmet needs for so many patients."

The establishment of HCPCS Level II P-codes follows the announcement earlier this month that CMS has granted a new technology add-on payment (NTAP) for IFC within the Medicare Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS). In November 2020, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted approval of the INTERCEPT Blood System for Cryoprecipitation, which is used to produce IFC as well as Pathogen Reduced Plasma, Cryoprecipitate Reduced. IFC was previously granted FDA Breakthrough Device designation based on its potential to improve treatment of massive hemorrhage, a life-threatening medical condition.

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