News Release

BAXTER LAUNCHES NEW AUTOMATED BLOOD COMPONENT COLLECTION SYSTEM

Baxter's ALYX System Now Available to Help Blood Centers Increase Supply of Critically Important Red Blood Cells

Blood Centers and Donors Report Positive Experiences Using the ALYX System

DEERFIELD, Ill., May 6, 2003 -- Baxter Healthcare Corporation today announced the national launch of its ALYX Component Collection System, a fast, portable, automated blood collection system that offers blood centers a new approach to increase the supply of red blood cells. The ALYX System allows blood centers to collect two units of red blood cells, instead of just one, from eligible donors.

"We are proud to deliver a fast, automated red blood cell technology that combines blood collection, component separation and leukoreduction in one innovative system," said Greg Young, president of Baxter's Transfusion Therapies business. "The ALYX System will help blood centers collect more red blood cells from fewer donors, and meet the increasing demand for this critical blood component."

Several customers have evaluated the technology, giving it positive marks for reliability, ease of use and red cell quality. Through the recent customer evaluations, donors also reported a positive experience and previous studies showed that nearly 90 percent of donors rated their overall experience as positive.

The following blood centers have completed evaluations of the ALYX System:·

• Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center in Texas
• LifeShare Blood Centers in Louisiana
• Long Island Blood Services in New York
• Memorial Blood Centers of Minnesota
• Oklahoma Blood Institute
• South Florida Blood Banks
• The Blood Center of New Jersey

The Process
Currently, red blood cells are primarily collected through manual whole blood donations. Each unit of whole blood is separated into components, producing a single transfusion dose of red blood cells. The ALYX System can collect two transfusion doses of red blood cells from a single donor through a fast, automated process that retains only the desired blood component and returns the remaining blood components and saline to the donor in approximately 25 minutes. Because donors on the ALYX System are giving two units of red blood cells instead of one, the donor criteria is slightly more restrictive than for a whole blood donation.

The compact size and portable design of the ALYX System allows blood centers to use it in a number of settings, including mobile blood drives at offices, schools, churches and community centers. Since most whole blood collections take place in mobile settings, its portability is expected to help further increase the availability of the blood supply.

Advantages of the ALYX System
The ALYX System combines blood collection, component separation, and leukoreduction into a single, integrated process, reducing the potential for error and reducing demands on limited blood center resources. The ALYX System has been shown in clinical studies and in customer evaluations to consistently deliver standardized, high-quality blood components.

Baxter Healthcare Corporation is the principal U.S. operating subsidiary of Baxter International Inc. (NYSE:BAX). Baxter International Inc., through its subsidiaries, assists health-care professionals and their patients with 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.

(Baxter and ALYX are trademarks of Baxter International Inc. and its affiliates.)

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