Articles

IPFA welcomes Marion Lanteri as Executive Board member, CTS as new member organization

As an organization dedicated to the safety of the world’s blood and plasma supply, Creative Testing Solutions’ Research & Development team and its research collaborators contribute to studies monitoring emerging and ongoing safety concerns in blood and biologics. For example, CTS continues to provide critical data regarding the safety of the blood supply after donor deferrals for Men who have Sex with Men (MSM) changed in the last few years. Based on this data and the collective international ...

TEMPE, Ariz. (Sept. 8, 2022) — Marion Lanteri, Ph.D., began this week as Creative Testing Solutions’ vice president of scientific affairs. CTS is a leading research partner, tracking infectious disease markers in the national blood supply, among many other significant projects. As the largest nonprofit blood and plasma laboratory organization in the world, CTS exists to ensure the safety of blood and plasma-derived products for life-saving transfusion and therapeutic use.Lanteri will...

On December 28, 2021, the FDA updated the emergency use authorization  (EUA) for COVID-19 convalescent plasma.  The update limits the authorization to the use of COVID-19 convalescent plasma with high titers of anti -SARS-CoV-2 antibodies for the treatment of COVID-19 in patients with immunosuppressive disease or who are receiving immunosuppressive treatment.  Additionally, to help assure the manufacture of high titer COVID-19 convalescent plasma, the revisions to the EUA define a...

National Blood Donor Month has been observed in January since 1970, with the goal of increasing blood and platelet donations during the winter. One of the most difficult times of the year to collect enough blood products to meet patient needs. Extreme winter weather often results in canceled blood drives, and seasonal illnesses like flu and/or COVID-19 may cause donors to become temporarily unable to donate.

Creative Testing Solutions, the largest nonprofit blood testing organization in the U.S., today announced a new partnership with Grifols. On April 1, 2022, Creative Testing Solutions will assume responsibility for operations of Grifols’ three testing facilities in San Marcos, TX, Austin, TX, and Memphis, TN.

Through communications with our clients, CTS is aware of the current national blood shortage. We realize this situation makes it even more critical that we report your results on time. While most test result reporting delays are CTS’ responsibility, there are ways you can help reduce delays.We have noted that some test result delays are associated with an inadequate donor sample set. The two primary causes are when only two tubes instead of three are submitted for routine donations or when...

We are informing you that the FDA has announced their withdrawal of Guidance for ZIKV Testing. In their announcement, FDA indicated the Zika virus (ZIKV) is no longer a relevant transfusion-transmitted infection (RTTI) under FDA’s regulations, and the available evidence demonstrates that ZIKV no longer has sufficient incidence and/or prevalence to affect the potential donor population.  Accordingly, the guidance titled, “Revised Recommendations for Reducing the Risk of Zika Viru...

On January 25, 2021, CTS implements the Ortho VIP viral marker testing platform. Conversion from the Prism to the VIP is one of the most significant changes we have made in the past three years. We implemented the new system through the dedication and extraordinary effort of everyone across the enterprise. Congratulations on this important success!

 Just a reminder that the revised client forms implement today! Don't forget to toss your old versions! If you need a refresher on what forms are impacted, you can read about it here: Communications