Of the millions of people receiving blood transfusions in the United States each year, thousands face complications some of which can be life-threatening as a result of a mismatch between the donor and recipient.

Progenika, Inc., the U.S. subsidiary of Progenika Biopharma, the Basque molecular diagnostics company, unveiled in the United States for the first time a new genetic blood test that sharply reduces the chance for a transfusion mismatch. Data showing clinical validation in Europe was presented at the annual meeting of the American Association of Blood Banks. The test was developed by the Bloodgen consortium, a group of leading European blood banks and research institutions, including Progenika Biopharma.

Professor Neil Avent of the University of West England, Bristol, leader of the Bloodgen consortium and a member of Progenika Biopharma’s scientific advisory board, said that 1,000 patient, donor and new-born blood samples collected in Europe were tested with BLOODchip®, the trade name for the company’s new genetic test which simultaneously determines nine blood types.