The company expects to close the acquisition during the 1999 third quarter. Earlier this week, Baxter announced the introduction of HomeChoice PRO TM with PD Link TM , an advanced at-home kidney dialysis system. The system is designed to improve the care of people with chronic kidney failure by using advanced computer technology to automatically monitor and communicate critical therapy data from a patient's home to his or her physician. Additionally, its ease of use makes home-based peritoneal dialysis a viable option for more patients. Also this week, Baxter and its development partner, Cerus Corporation, began the process of enrolling patients in a U.S. Phase 3 clinical trial of their pathogen inactivation system for platelets.
Platelets are the component of blood that controls bleeding.
The system is based on Cerus' proprietary light-activated compound and is designed to inactivate viruses, bacteria and other pathogens that may be present in platelets. This is the first U.S. Phase 3 clinical trial of a pathogen inactivation system for platelets. Tisseel replicates the natural blood-clotting process to stop bleeding in surgical procedures involving cardiopulmonary bypass and repair of the spleen. The agreements should enable Baxter to more than double its sales of Tisseel in the United States next year. Baxter is a global medical products and services company that provides critical therapies for patients' life-threatening conditions.