Baxter International
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Baxter International Inc. | |
|---|---|
| Type | Public (NYSE: BAX) |
| Founded | 1931 |
| Headquarters | Deerfield, Illinois |
| Key people | Robert L. Parkinson Jr., Chairman, CEO and President Robert M. Davis SVP/CFO |
| Industry | Health Care |
| Products | See complete products listing. |
| Employees | 46,500 |
| Website | www.Baxter.com |
Baxter International Inc. (NYSE: BAX), is a global healthcare company with 46,500 employees and 2007 sales of US$11.3 billion. Its headquarters is in Deerfield, Illinois.
[edit] Quality issues
In 2008 the quality of blood thinning products produced by Baxter was brought into question when they were linked to 19 deaths in the US. 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. Enough for them to be considered sub-potent and thus unsuitable for use. Baxter did not pick up on the contamination until after the FDA became involved.[1][2][3]
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.[1][2][3]
[edit] References
- ^ a b "Contaminant Found in Blood Thinner", Washington Post (Online edition), 2008-03-05
- ^ a b "Baxter probe focuses on US-owned China plant - WSJ", Reuters, 2008-02-15
- ^ a b "China Washes Hands on Heparin Purity", Wall Street Journal (Online edition) 2008-02-27
