• The molecular diagnostic kit available in the United States since last year has obtained CE marking
  • The diagnostic kit offers greater donor-patient compatibility by testing 37 antigens of 10 blood groups in less than 4 hours on the basis of a DNA sample
  • According to WHO data, 5% of the world's population carry genes for hereditary blood disorders, and each year over 300,000 children are born suffering from these conditions

Barcelona, June 30, 2014. Grifols (MCE:GRF, MCE:GRF.P and NASDAQ:GRFS), one of the leading companies in the world in plasma-derived biological medicines and transfusion medicine, has obtained European conformance - CE marking - for its innovative ID CORE XT diagnostic test, which permits simultaneous testing for 37 antigens of 10 blood groups in less than four hours on the basis of a DNA sample. The kit has been available in the United States since August 2013 under the "Research Use Only" category.

The molecular blood group typing employed by ID CORE XT offers greater safety in blood transfusions, ensuring greater compatibility between donor and patient, and delivering accurate typing in cases where conventional techniques are inadequate, such as for patients who have recently received a transfusion or where there is a need to identify antigens for which no commercial antibodies are available. ID CORE XT types 37 antigens of the following blood groups: Rh, Kell, Kidd, Duffy, MNS, Diego, Dombrock, Colton, Cartwright and Lutheran.

The reliability, accuracy and speed of ID CORE XT enables immunohematologists in blood banks and transfusion centers to build detailed databases of regular donors and attend to the needs of patients requiring regular transfusions, without the need to confirm results obtained using other techniques. People with cancer or those suffering from hereditary blood disorders (hemoglobinopathies) such as sickle cell anemia are among those who develop alloimmunization reactions.

The incidence of alloimmunization derived from non-ABO or RhD antibodies may reach 30% in patients requiring chronic transfusion1while, according to World Health Organization (WHO) data, 5% of the world population carry genes for blood disorders, and each year over 300,000 children are born with serious blood disorders.

The very latest technology, at the service of hematologists

ID CORE XT has been developed from ID CORE+, an integral part of the BLOODchip® product line, manufactured by Progenika, a Grifols company, that incorporates the very latest technology to offer ease of use and rapid results. The diagnostic kit uses Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) technologies to amplify DNA samples, and this, combined with Luminex® technology, permits the precise identification of the genetic markers to be studied. In addition, the diagnostic kit incorporates BIDS XT software to control the entire process and automatically transmit the results to the laboratory computer system.

For further information, please visit www.progenika.com

About Grifols

Grifols is a global healthcare company with a 70-year legacy of improving people's health and well being through the development of life-saving plasma medicines, diagnostics systems, and hospital pharmacy products.

The company is present in more than 100 countries worldwide and is headquartered in Barcelona, Spain. Grifols is a leader in plasma collection with a network of 150 plasma donor centers in the U.S., and a leading producer of plasma-derived biological medicines. The company also provides a comprehensive range of transfusion medicine, hemostasis, and immunoassay solutions for clinical laboratories, blood banks and transfusion centers, and is a recognized leader in transfusion medicine.

In 2013, sales exceeded 2,740 million euros with a headcount of 13,200 employees. Grifols demonstrates its commitment to advancing healthcare by allocating a significant portion of its annual income to R&D.

The company's class A shares are listed on the Spanish Stock Exchange, where they are part of the Ibex-35 (MCE:GRF). Its non-voting class B shares are listed on the Mercado Continuo (MCE:GRF.P) and on the U.S. NASDAQ via ADRs (NASDAQ: GRFS). For more information visit www.grifols.com.

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