NEW YORK (Reuters Health) Jul 23 - The Inactine pathogen reduction system effectively removes the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) virus in red blood cells contaminated with high titers of the virus, according to the results of an internal study conducted by V.I. Technologies, Inc., based in Watertown, Massachusetts. The Inactine system, which is designed to screen and purify blood for transfusions, demonstrated eradication of both the Asian and Toronto strains of the SARS virus by more than 99.99999%, said V.I. Technologies (Vitex) President and CEO John Barr. The company said it would present full results of the study on July 31st at a workshop on pathogen reduction at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute in Bethesda, Maryland. While researchers have yet to establish that the SARS virus can be transmitted via a blood transfusion, the virus has been identified in blood and the probability of viral transmission is high. The World Health Organization (WHO) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have recommended deferring blood donations from individuals who either live or have traveled to areas with local transmission of the disease. "SARS shares many characteristics of the West Nile virus," said Barr, noting there were approximately 20 inadvertent blood donations by people infected with West Nile until pilot screening tests were prepared. "Both are envelope viruses, both belong to the coronavirus family, and patients are asymptomatic for a period of time." No blood-screening test exists yet for the SARS virus. Several screening tests for the West Nile virus are now being introduced. Earlier this month, Roche said its TaqScreen West Nile Virus Test successfully identified a unit of blood contaminated with the virus. The test intercepted a donation from a Gulf Coast regional blood center in Texas, one of 11 U.S. clinical trial sites evaluating the Roche test. Vitex's Inactine system is now in phase III testing. In the system, a small molecular compound binds to the nucleic acid (DNA and RNA) of blood-borne viruses, bacteria, and parasites. Once bound, the compound creates an irreversible bond to the pathogenic nucleic acid, thereby preventing replication and inducing subsequent eradication of the pathogens. Barr said if the Inactine reduction technology was approved, it probably could prevent the transmission of SARS by blood transfusion. | 
