Baxter Gets UK Contract for Avian Flu Vaccine

Baxter International, Inc.’s European subsidiary has received a contract from the National Health Service (NHS) in the UK to produce a stockpile of two million doses of candidate H5N1 influenza vaccine based on an avian strain. Under the agreement, Baxter will complete delivery of the stockpile to the NHS in 2006.

“We are proud to provide the necessary technology, manufacturing capability and other resources to assist the National Health Service in its efforts to protect individuals from the threat of a flu pandemic,” said Joy Amundson, corporate vice president and president of Baxter’s BioScience business.

Baxter also is working with the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) to develop a cell culture-based H5N1 candidate pandemic flu vaccine. Baxter will be providing the candidate vaccine to NIAID for clinical testing in the U.S., which is expected to begin in 2006. Baxter is also in discussions with several other governments regarding its candidate pandemic vaccine.