March 11, 2008 — /PRWEB/ — SAN JOSE, CA — Spectroscopic instruments have been crucial in the laboratory since their inception. Various segments of the spectrometry industry have evolved to meet the burgeoning requirements of life sciences and pharmaceutical industries. Mass spectrometry techniques are useful in performing tasks such as monitoring processes, identifying compounds, and elucidating chemical structures. This has resulted in increase in demand for spectrometers and auxiliary equipment, expanding the market into a multi billion-dollar industry.

Developments in infrared, near infrared, and fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy are gradually expanding use into novel applications. These instruments, which have been traditionally used in areas such as analytical chemistry, are finding application in medical and pharmaceutical areas. Research efforts are currently focused on development of noninvasive near-IR techniques to probe the hemodynamics of tissue samples in vivo. Ongoing efforts also explore the use of these techniques for blood delivery for injured tissues.

The United States dominates the global spectrometer, spectrophotometer, and spectrofluorometer market with sales estimated at $3.2 billion for 2007. Expanding Asian research and industrial markets, including China and India, spell new opportunities for spectrometry, as stated by Global Industry Analysts, Inc. The mass spectrometers market makes up a significant share of the spectrometry market and is projected to expand to $2.5 billion by 2010. Nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometers comprise the fastest growing sub segment within the molecular spectroscopy market. Market for this segment is nearly saturated in developed countries including the United States and Europe. However, developing regions, including Asia-Pacific and Latin America, are yet to witness rapid proliferation of this technique. Europe is the second largest market for spectrometers, spectrophotometers, and spectrofluorometers worldwide next to the US. Mass spectrometry represents the fastest growing segment with CAGR of 9 percent. Ongoing consolidation in the pharmaceutical industry poses a major challenge for providers of mass spectrometry instruments for proteomics.

Key players profiled in the report include Agilent Technologies Inc., Applied Biosystems Group, Bruker Daltonics, Inc., Hitachi Ltd, JEOL Ltd, MDS Sciex, PerkinElmer, Inc., Shimadzu Corporation, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Varian Inc., and Waters Corporation. Applied Biosystems Group, Waters, and Thermo Fisher hold about 65 percent share of the global market for mass spectrometers.

The report titled “Spectrometers, Spectrophotometers, and Spectrofluorometers: A Global Strategic Business Report,” published by Global Industry Analysts, Inc., covers major market dynamics, trends, issues, and competition pertaining to the market. The report enumerates recent product launches/innovations, developments, mergers, acquisitions, and other strategic industry activities. Market size estimates and projections are presented over the years 2000 through 2010, while long-term projections are provided for the years 2011 through 2015. Product segments analyzed in the study include molecular spectroscopy (UV-Vis spectrophotometers, raman spectrometers, nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometers, near infrared spectrometer, FTIR spectrometers, and others); atomic spectroscopy (ark/spark spectrometers, plasma spectrometers (ICP, ICP-MS), atomic absorption spectrometers, and others); hyphenated spectrometry (LC-MS, GC-MS); mass spectrometry; fluorescence spectromete rs; and accessories. Analysis is presented for established and emerging markets including the United States, Japan, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy, Asia-Pacific, and Latin America.

About Global Industry Analysts, Inc.

Global Industry Analysts, Inc. is a reputed publisher of off-the-shelf market research. Founded in 1987, the company is globally recognized as one of the world’s largest market research publishers. The company employs over 700 people worldwide and publishes more than 880 full-scale research reports each year. Additionally, the company also offers a range of over 60,000 smaller research products including company reports, market trend reports, and industry reports encompassing all major industries worldwide.

Visit www.strategyr.com

March 6, 2008 — /PRNewswire/ — LOURES, PORTUGAL — Hovione announces that it has purchased 75 percent of Hisyn Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. The Zhejiang provincial authorities have already issued the necessary business license and the joint venture is now operational.

The acquisition provides Hovione with significant additional drug substance manufacturing production capacity and strengthens its 20 year presence in China. The acquisition includes both development labs in Shanghai and an active pharmaceutical ingredient plant occupying 22,000-square meters on a 22-acre plot employing 181 staff. Hovione’s relationship with Hisyn started with the supply of intermediates, but this factory, which was commissioned in 2005 from a greenfield site, will now produce Hovione’s two largest volume products.

“Hisyn represents an opportunity to both increase our manufacturing capacity and ensure a sustainable cost advantage. We find it important to provide our current customers with an assurance of competitive supply over the long run and, in addition, we want to have a strong presence in new markets, such as Brazil, India, and China where price is decisive”
says Miguel Calado, CFO.

The negotiation and the acquisition processes moved smoothly in part due to the experience Hovione has built in China over the last 3 decades. The Macau plant, with 5 previous FDA inspections and more than 10 years of contract manufacturing relationships in China, has enabled Hovione to effectively bridge cultures with China in every dimension: language, GMP, culture, and business practices.

Luis Gomes, vice president of generics, and responsible for the investment and integration process adds, “When we first came to the Canton fair in 1979, we were buying raw-materials that would be processed in Macau or in Portugal. For many years, we felt we’d be better off being an important client of Chinese plants through contract manufacturing deals because, at that time, there were many JVs going very wrong. Now is the right time for Hovione to acquire infrastructure in China and tap into a growing market and leverage China’s manufacturing abilities. We are planning to invest further monies in 2008 to effectively double Hisyn’s manufacturing capacity”.

About Hovione

Hovione is an international group specializing in the development and compliant production of active pharmaceutical ingredients, serving exclusively the pharmaceutical industry. In 2006, it had sales of $94 million (Euro 70 million). With almost 50 years in process development, quality standards, and advanced particle design technologies, Hovione offers APIs for all drug delivery systems, from oral to injectable and from inhalation to topical applications. With FDA inspected plants in Europe, the Far East, and New Jersey, Hovione is committed to the highest levels of service and quality. Specializing in complex chemistry, Hovione offers services related to the development and manufacture of either a new chemical entity for an exclusive contract manufacturing partner, or an existing API for an off-patent product.

Visit www.hovione.com

March 7, 2008 — /PRNewswire/ — SANTA CLARA, CA — Finesse Solutions, LLC, a manufacturer of measurement and control solutions for life sciences process applications, and Nova Biomedical, Waltham, MA, a world leader in biotechnology process monitoring, announce the first TruBio^TM OS plug-in for OPC connectivity between TruBio OS and Nova BioProfile 400, 100 Plus, Basic 4, and Basic 2 analyzers. Both companies confirmed that a TruBio OS plug-in for OPC connectivity to the Nova Flex is currently in development.

OPC (openness, productivity, and collaboration) has become the de facto standard for data exchange in process control systems. It has been adopted by the majority of the control system manufacturers in the bioprocess industry and has proven to be a reliable method for sharing information across different hardware platforms.

Automatic data exchange using OPC between a lab analyzer and control system reduces errors and time delays of manual sampling, and provides automated reporting of results. It also allows the control system to adjust process parameters without a 24/7 operator present and, in the event of process alarm conditions, alerts off-site personnel and/or takes automatic corrective action.

This level of integration enables direct consolidation of off-line lab analyzer results into existing historical data collection, automates batch report generation, and creates a complete electronic record. Printouts of standalone analyzer results do not have to be manually attached or tracked with electronic batch reports that control systems already provide.

“Taking advantage of OPC connectivity between Nova analyzers and the Finesse bioprocess control system will improve quality and yield, while reducing operating costs. For example, programming a Nova analyzer to automatically standardize an in situ probe, or using the resulting sample data in real-time control algorithms, will increase both process understanding and control accuracy,” states Dr. Mark Selker, CTO and co-founder of Finesse.

“By redefining the standard associated with offline data to include complete integration and the value of those data as they are applied to the bioprocess automatically, Nova and Finesse continue to provide the cutting edge technology required to bring the biotechnology industry into a new era of effectiveness and profitability. The value lies in the actions upon that information. Nova and Finesse provide the compliment to each other’s technologies, thereby allowing our customers real-time benefits that, until now, were impossible,” says Bob Fox, director of sales.

About Finesse Solutions, LLC

California-based Finesse Solutions, LLC leads the way in developing new measurement and control technologies in order to enable the transition to single-use systems, bring new capabilities to existing bioreactor platforms, and harmonize global bio-process information transfer. Its current product family provides comprehensive measurement and control solutions for upstream processes in the biotech and pharmaceutical industries.

Visit www.finesse.com

About Nova Biomedical

Nova Biomedical is committed to continuing its technology leadership with advanced products that provide better, faster diagnostic information. The company continues to innovate biotechnology instruments that allow faster, more economical development of drugs and other therapeutic products.

Visit www.novabiomedical.com

March 7, 2008 — /MILTON, NY/ — Sono-Tek Corp., the world leader in the development and application of liquid ultrasonic atomization technology into precision and liquid conserving spraying and coating application systems, announces the creation of two strategic business units reporting directly to Dr. Joseph Riemer, president, as well as the hiring of additional sales and applications development staff.

The first SBU is the Electronics and Advanced Energy unit headed by Steve Harshbarger. Building upon expertise in the electronics industry, which has been a mainstay of Sono-Tek business for many years, the company developed unique spraying and coating applications customized for the advanced energy industries. In particular, Sono-Tek now offers the growing fuel cell and photovoltaic panel (solar energy) industries unique technical solutions and cost of goods savings that are unavailable from any traditional spraying methods through its superior transfer efficiencies and sophisticated controls. These systems have already been selected and purchased by leading corporations and are being further evaluated by advanced energy start-up companies and R&D centers worldwide. The Sono-Tek Electronics and advanced energy SBU will exhibit these systems in six global trade shows in 2008.

The second SBU is the Ultrasonic Coating Solutions unit headed by Luis Abarca. Performing technology transfer from its portfolio of successful industrial applications, Sono-Tek is introducing unique and superior spraying and coating solutions for a series of major global corporations in the medical industry that include stent coating, blood collection tubes coatings, and ultrasonic spray drying of actives. For the textiles industry, Sono-Tek offers cost of goods savings through more efficient coating of fire retardant, anti stain, and anti microbial agents onto woven and non-woven substrates. The glass and ceramics industries use Sono-Tek’s ultrasonic spraying of specialty coatings with proprietary functional features to save energy and enhance environmental friendliness. Food manufacturing and biodegradable food packaging industries recently joined the beneficiaries of Sono-Tek technology, enabling them to introduce safer food products
with longer shelf life and lower environmental impact. The Sono-Tek Ultrasonic Coating Solutions SBU will exhibit in six global trade shows in 2008.

“Sono-Tek’s business plan is to grow through investment in our capabilities to deliver unique and superior solutions for our customers. Accordingly, we have doubled the size of our marketing and sales organization, which will proactively identify, contact, and introduce these capabilities to new customers. We have added application development engineers to our team and modernized our laboratory and pilot plant so that we can readily demonstrate the value of our technology to these customers,” says Dr. Riemer.

About Sono-Tek Corporation

Sono-Tek is the world leader in the development and application of liquid ultrasonic atomization technology into nozzle systems and spraying and coating application systems. Compared to conventional pressure spraying methods, the company’s ultrasonic nozzles do not clog and reduce liquid usage, waste, and environmental impact while achieving much more precise, uniform, thin film coatings. Sono-Tek is continually developing new applications for its unique technology, replacing wasteful practices in a world that is growing ever more environmentally sensitive.

Visit www.sono-tek.com

March 7, 2008 –/DARMSTADT, GERMANY/ — Merck KGaA announces that it is investing EUR 47 million in a new research and development center to be built at the Darmstadt site for the chemicals business sector. This is the largest single investment to date in chemicals research and development. Construction will begin in June 2008 and is expected to be completed by the end of 2009.

“Innovations introduced to the market quickly and efficiently are a key driver for the growth we are aiming for in our successful specialty chemicals business,” says Walter W. Zywottek, member of the executive board with responsibility for the chemicals business sector. “This investment is a further step toward expanding our competence as a leading supplier of technologically sophisticated and innovative products and solutions in specialty chemicals.”

Dr. Thomas Geelhaar, chief technology officer of the chemicals business sector adds, “The new research and development center will concentrate key activities under one roof, thus achieving significant process improvements and synergies in a high-tech environment.”

Most of the key R&D activities of the chemicals business sector and the approximately 340 employees involved in these activities will be located in the center, which will consist of three laboratory and pilot-plant buildings. The activities to be housed in the new facility include the research departments of the Liquid Crystals division currently located at sites in Darmstadt, Frankfurt, and Mainz, as well as R&D activities of the Performance & Life Science Chemicals division. In addition, the Business Development Chemicals activities will move into the new R&D center. Corresponding central support and logistics functions will also be added.

Visit www.merck.de

March 6, 2008 — /PRNewswire/ — BATESVILLE, IN — Hill-Rom and NanoHorizons, Inc. announce an agreement to incorporate NanoHorizon’s antimicrobial technology into Hill-Rom’s patient support surfaces. This technology, to be branded as nanoAg+^TM with SmartSilver^TM, will bring new levels of protection against institutionally-borne pathogens.

Hill-Rom, the medical technology subsidiary of Hillenbrand Industries, Inc. (NYSE:HB), is a leading worldwide manufacturer and provider of medical technologies and related services for the health care industry. NanoHorizons, a leader in the field of advanced nanomaterials, engineers and delivers permanent antimicrobial solutions under the SmartSilver brand.

“Our relationship with NanoHorizons is a natural next step in Hill-Rom’s commitment to leveraging and integrating differentiated external technologies to help deliver enhanced outcomes for patients and their caregivers,” says Peter Soderberg, president and CEO of Hillenbrand Industries and Hill-Rom. “Caregivers and health care administrators are looking for solutions on how they can prevent health care-associated infections. We anticipate that our relationship with NanoHorizons will yield a comprehensive portfolio of products with built-in, long-lasting antimicrobial protection. Given how important this issue is for the health care industry, we aim to offer a nanoAg+ with SmartSilver option on all of our preventative and therapeutic surface products by the end of 2009.”

Infection control is one of the critical issues in health care today. In its 2003 guidelines for environmental infection control in health care facilities, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has identified that, “Contaminated textiles and fabrics often contain high numbers of microorganisms from body substances, including blood, skin, stool, urine, vomitus, and other body tissues and fluids.” Further, the CDC estimates that health care-associated infections account for an estimated 1.7 million infections and 99,000 associated deaths each year in US hospitals.

Silver is one of nature’s most powerful antimicrobial agents. In lab tests, it has been found to be 99.9 percent effective in the reduction of surface bacteria and viruses including the virulent staph infection known as Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Unlocking silver’s properties for use as a protector is a specialized scientific field, an area where NanoHorizons scientists have been leaders. Unlike other silver technologies being offered today, NanoHorizons has pioneered the specific use of nanotechnology to create and manipulate materials that are smaller than 100 nanometers in size. When applied to coatings, fabrics and laminates, nanotechnology allows the silver to cover an area more effectively and last much longer than any other antimicrobial coating, according to Dr. Stephen Fonash, Kunkle chair of engineering science at Penn State University and co-founder of NanoHorizons.

To bring the enhanced benefits of SmartSilver into the hospital and other caregiver settings through application to beds and therapeutic surfaces requires the special expertise of Hill-Rom working with NanoHorizons to create nanoAg+. Together, these two companies will soon introduce nanoAg+ with SmartSilver, a vital new solution for the health care environment.

“The SmartSilver brand is succeeding in a wide variety of fields with partners who share a common interest in delivering leading-edge antimicrobial product protection to today’s marketplace,” says Daniel Hayes, president and CEO of NanoHorizons. “Hill-Rom is an ideal partner for advanced medical equipment applications, given their longstanding commitment to innovation and their unwavering dedication to improved patient outcomes.”

About Nanohorizons, Inc.

NanoHorizons, Inc., with its solid foundation in applied chemistry and engineering, is a leader in the emerging field of practical nanotechnology. NanoHorizon’s SmartSilver antimicrobial offers permanent bacterial control for textiles, medical devices, and industrial materials. NanoHorizons is privately held and headquartered in State College, PA. The company works closely with customers from its R&D laboratory, manufacturing facility, and technical support office adjacent to Penn State University.

Visit www.nanohorizons.com

About Hill-Rom

Hill-Rom, an operating company of Hillenbrand Industries, Inc., is a leading worldwide manufacturer and provider of medical technologies and related services for the health care industry, including patient support systems, non-invasive therapeutic products for a variety of acute and chronic medical conditions, medical equipment rentals, and workflow information technology solutions. Hill-Rom’s comprehensive product and service offerings are used by health care providers across the health care continuum in hospitals, extended care facilities, and home care settings to enhance the safety and quality of patient care.

Visit www.hillenbrand.com

March 3, 2008 –

March 4, 2008 — /PRNewswire/ — DUBLIN, OH — Cardinal Health, a global provider of products and services that improve the safety and productivity of health care, today announced a definitive agreement to acquire the assets of privately held Enturia Inc. for $490 million. The cash transaction includes Enturia’s leading line of infection prevention products sold under the ChloraPrep^R brand name and is expected to close within 60 days, subject to customary regulatory approvals and other conditions.

ChloraPrep brand products are used widely in U.S. hospitals and surgery centers to disinfect the skin before surgical and vascular procedures to help prevent blood stream and surgical site infections, two of the most common types of health care-associated infections (HAIs) among patients.

The acquisition will complement Cardinal Health’s infection prevention offerings by adding a differentiated and proven product line to the company’s Medical Products and Technologies segment. Numerous organizations that focus on improving hospital safety have cited the active ingredient in ChloraPrep products as the clinically preferred antiseptic for preoperative skin preparation.

Today, Cardinal Health’s infection prevention offerings range from MedMined^TM electronic infection surveillance services that track and help manage hospital HAI rates, to medical products and surgical apparel that help providers lower infection rates. Cardinal Health plans to accelerate sales of ChloraPrep products to both hospital and alternate-care customers through its U.S. and international sales networks. Enturia’s rich product pipeline is expected to help expand the base of applications for ChloraPrep products.

“ChloraPrep products bring a new capability and platform to our infection prevention line-up,” says R. Kerry Clark, chairman and CEO of Cardinal Health. “The technology is well aligned with our mission to improve patient safety. This is another good example of a tuck-in acquisition that complements our clinical and medical products sector and advances our strategy to help health care providers reduce HAIs and the burden they cause to the quality and cost of care.”

Enturia was founded as Medi-Flex Hospital Products in 1985. Over the past two years, the company’s revenue has grown more than 70 percent to approximately $140 million in 2007. The company has about 600 employees in Kansas, Texas, and the United Kingdom.

“We are very excited to join Cardinal Health, one of the world’s premier health care companies, and a company that shares our vision to prevent infections in hospitals around the world,” saysJoe Brandmeyer, chairman and founder of Enturia. “Cardinal Health has the domestic and global infrastructure to help ChloraPrep products achieve their market potential and the financial strength to invest in continued innovation. There is also a strong cultural fit between our management teams with a shared goal of reducing infections for patients and health care providers everywhere.”

The acquisition is expected to be slightly dilutive to Cardinal Health’s earnings for the remainder of fiscal year 2008 and accretive each year thereafter. The company’s outlook for non-GAAP diluted earnings per share (EPS) from continuing operations for fiscal 2008, including the impact of the acquisition, remains unchanged at $3.75 to $3.85. Consistent with Cardinal Health’s approach to acquisitions, Enturia is expected to generate positive economic profit and returns above its cost of capital within the third fiscal year after the purchase.

Separately, and as part of the company’s ongoing strategy to optimize its portfolio of products and services, Cardinal Health has decided to pursue the sale of several smaller, non-core offerings within its Medical Products and Technologies segment. Details will be announced as there are significant developments in these transactions.

Impact of health care-associated infections

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one in 20 patients, or nearly 2 million people per year, acquire an HAI, which results in nearly 100,000 deaths. Catheter-related bloodstream infections (BSIs) represent 19 percent of HAIs, and surgical site infections (SSIs) represent 23 percent.

A recent cost estimate puts the economic impact of HAIs at more than $17 billion a year in the United States alone. As of October 2008, the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services will no longer reimburse hospitals for the added cost of treating certain HAIs, placing an increased economic burden on hospitals.

How ChloraPrep products work

ChloraPrep products are cleared by the Food and Drug Administration and use a clinically preferred concentration of chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) and isopropyl alcohol delivered through proprietary, disposable applicators. The products penetrate the first five cell layers of the skin, which helps reduce skin-dwelling microorganisms that cause infections. The applicator design eliminates direct hand-to-patient contact, helping prevent cross contamination.

The solution in ChloraPrep products is clinically proven to be effective for at least 48 hours against some of the most costly and difficult to treat microorganisms including Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Vancomycin-resistant Enterococci (VRE), Clostridium difficile, Acineobacter, Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, and most viruses and fungi.

CHG is recommended by more than a dozen agencies and organizations including the CDC, the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, the National Institutes of Health, the American Association of Critical Care Nurses, and the American Academy of Pediatrics. Numerous evidence-based guidelines and more than 30 clinical studies support the use of CHG-based formulations for patient skin preparation.

About Cardinal Health

Headquartered in Dublin, OH, Cardinal Health, Inc. (NYSE:CAH) is an $87 billion, global company serving the health-care industry with products and services that help hospitals, physician offices, and pharmacies reduce costs; improve safety, productivity, and profitability; and deliver better care to patients. With a focus on making supply chains more efficient, reducing health care-associated infections, and breaking the cycle of harmful medication errors, Cardinal Health develops market-leading technologies, including Alaris^R IV pumps, Pyxis^R automated dispensing systems, MedMined electronic infection surveillance service, VIASYS^R respiratory care products, and the CareFusion^TM patient identification system. The company also manufactures medical and surgical products and is one of the largest distributors of pharmaceuticals and medical supplies worldwide. Ranked Number 19 on the Fortune 500, Cardinal Health employs more than 40,000 people on five continents.

Visit www.cardinalhealth.com

February 29, 2008 –/PRNewswire/ — DEERFIELD, IL — Baxter International Inc. announced that the company is proceeding with the voluntary recall of all remaining lots and doses of its heparin sodium injection multi-dose, single-dose vials and HEP-LOCK heparin flush products.

The company initially recalled nine lots of heparin sodium injection multi-dose vials on January 17, 2008 as a precautionary measure due to a higher than usual number of reports of adverse patient reactions involving the product, and suspended production earlier this month.

Given the widespread use of this blood thinner and the impact a product shortage would have on operating rooms, dialysis centers and other critical care areas, the FDA, and Baxter concluded that removing additional lots and doses of Baxter’s heparin from the market earlier would have created more risk to patients requiring heparin therapy than the increased potential for experiencing an adverse reaction. Accordingly, FDA and Baxter decided not to recall all Baxter heparin vial products at that time. FDA has now concluded that there is sufficient capacity on the part of other suppliers that Baxter’s recall will not jeopardize access to this drug, and has told Baxter that the company can now proceed with recalling its remaining heparin sodium injection and heparin flush products.

Although the vast majority of the reports of adverse reactions have been associated with the multi-dose products, Baxter is taking the precautionary step of recalling all remaining heparin sodium injection and heparin flush products that are currently on the market. In addition to the previously recalled lots of heparin sodium injection 1000 units/ml 10-ml and 30-ml multi-dose vials, Baxter’s recall will now include the remaining lots of those products and heparin sodium injection 5000 units/ml 10-ml multi-dose vials, heparin sodium injection 10,000 units/ml 4-ml multi-dose vials, heparin sodium injection 1000 USP units/ml, 5000 USP units/ml, and 10,000 USP units/ml single-dose vials, and all HEP-LOCK and HEP-LOCK U/P, 10 USP units/ml, and 100 USP units/ml vials, both preserved and preservative free.

This recall does not involve Baxter’s heparin pre-mix IV solutions in bags: heparin sodium in 5 percent dextrose injection, and heparin sodium in 0.9 percent sodium chloride injection.

“We have assurance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that there is an adequate supply in the market to meet the demand for these critical and lifesaving drugs,” says Peter J. Arduini, president of Baxter’s Medication Delivery business. “The safety and quality of our products is always our highest priority, and we will continue to collaborate with the FDA as we work to determine the cause of the increased rate of adverse reactions and resolve this issue.”

Nearly all reported adverse reactions have occurred in three specific areas of product use — renal dialysis, invasive cardiovascular procedures, and apheresis procedures. Reported adverse patient reactions have included: stomach pain or discomfort, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, decreased or low blood pressure, chest pain, fast heart rate, dizziness, fainting, unresponsiveness, shortness of breath, the feeling of a strong or rapid heartbeat, drug ineffectiveness, burning sensation, redness or paleness of skin, abnormal sensation of the skin, mouth, or lips, flushing, increased sweating, decreased skin sensitivity, headache, feeling unwell, restlessness, watery eyes, throat swelling, thirst, bleeding tendencies, and difficulty opening the mouth. Some of these reactions, particularly profound and refractory hypotension, may be severe or life-threatening.

Customers have been instructed to discontinue use and segregate the recalled product from the rest of their inventory. Customers should then contact Baxter to arrange for return and replacement product. Customers with recalled product purchased indirectly should contact their wholesaler or distributor for return and replacement product. Customers with questions may contact the Center for One Baxter at 1-800-4-BAXTER (1-800-422-9837). Representatives will be available twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.

About Baxter

Baxter International Inc. (NYSE:BAX), through its subsidiaries, assists healthcare professionals and their patients with the treatment of complex medical conditions, including cancer, hemophilia, immune disorders, kidney disease, and trauma. The company applies its expertise in medical devices, pharmaceuticals, and biotechnology to make a meaningful difference in patients’ lives.

Visit www.baxter.com