Pathogen Removal and Diagnostic Technologies

Pathogen Removal and Diagnostic Technologies (PRDT) was a strategic joint venture established in 2002 by ProMetic Life Sciences, the American Red Cross, and MacoPharma. The entity was dedicated to developing and commercializing advanced technologies for the removal and detection of pathogens, specifically prions, in blood and blood-derived products. PRDT's core innovation was the P-Capt filter, a medical device that utilized proprietary affinity ligands to selectively capture and remove the infectious prions responsible for variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (vCJD). This technology addressed a critical safety concern in transfusion medicine, particularly in regions affected by bovine spongiform encephalopathy. While the joint venture is no longer the primary vehicle for these technologies, its work laid the foundation for modern prion reduction strategies in the global blood supply.