New Cerus boss looks to expand blood franchise in U.S., abroad

Cerus Corp. is out for blood, but it really needs money.
The Concord company (NASDAQ: CERS) has long been a player in the blood-testing field. Its Intercept system, developed with the help of Baxter International Inc. (NYSE: BAX) and approved in Europe in 2002, makes transfusions safer by inactivating a killer lineup of pathogens — viruses, bacteria and parasites — that otherwise can enter the blood supply undetected.
But after some missteps, Cerus is back, leaner and focused, again, on expanding into the more-lucrative red blood cell testing business.