Baxter International
 | |
| Company type | Public (NYSE: BAX) |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1931 |
| Headquarters | Deerfield, Illinois |
Key people | Robert L. Parkinson Jr., Chairman, CEO and President |
| Products | Medical supplies to treat hemophilia, kidney disease and provide intravenous therapy |
| Revenue | 15,113,000,000 United States dollar (2022)  |
| −1,943,000,000 United States dollar (2022) | |
| −2,433,000,000 United States dollar (2022) | |
Number of employees | 48,500 |
| Website | www.Baxter.com |
Baxter International Inc. (NYSE: BAX), is an American health care company with headquarters in Deerfield, Illinois. The company primarily focuses on products to treat hemophilia, kidney disease, immune disorders and other chronic and acute medical conditions. The company claims to have world-wide sales of $12.3 billion in sales, across three divisions (BioScience focusing on blood and blood products; Medication Delivery focusing on intravenous drug delivery; and Renal focusing on dialysis and the treatment of kidney disorders).[1]
Controversies
2008 Chinese heparin contamination
In 2008, the quality of blood thinning products produced by Baxter was brought into question when they were linked to 19 deaths in the United States.[2] Upon inspection one of the raw ingredients used by Baxter were found to be contaminated - between 5 and 20 percent - with a substance that was similar, but not identical, to the ingredient itself. The company initiated a voluntary recall, temporarily suspended the manufacture of heparin, and launched an investigation.
Investigation into the contamination has focused on raw heparin produced by Changzhou Scientific Protein Laboratories, a China based branch of Scientific Protein Laboratories, based in Waunakee, Wisconsin. Due to procedural errors Changzhou SPL's facilities was never subject to an inspection by US FDA official, as required by FDA rules. The factory's products were also never certified as safe for use in pharmaceutical products by Chinese FDA officials as Changzhou SPL was itself registered as a chemical company and not a drugs manufacturer.[3][4][5] Though Baxter was first to recall heparin because of increased adverse reactions, after the contaminant was identified and testing protocols were shared with other manufacturers globally, over a dozen other companies in nearly a dozen countries issued recalls, which linked back to certain supply points in China.
2009 avian flu contamination
In early 2009 supplies of Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 provided by Baxter International were erroneously sent to a series of European laboratories. The H5N1 strain was mixed with the less harmful H3N2 subtype of the seasonal flu virus, and was detected after it killed test animals more quickly than expected in a lab in the Czech Republic. Baxter claimed the controls over the distribution of the virus were stringent and there was little chance of the virus harming humans.[6]
References
- ^ "Corporate Overview". Baxter International. Retrieved 2009-06-14.
- ^ "Heparin's Deadly Side Effects". Time magazine. 2008. Retrieved 2008-11-16.
{{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ "Contaminant Found in Blood Thinner", Washington Post (Online edition), 2008-03-05
- ^ "Baxter probe focuses on US-owned China plant - WSJ", Reuters, 2008-02-15
- ^ "China Washes Hands on Heparin Purity", Wall Street Journal (Online edition) 2008-02-27
- ^ Jack, A (2009-03-16). "WHO mulls stricter transport of bio products". Financial Times. Retrieved 2009-06-16.