9 of hospital germs resistant staphylococci

The American Group Baxter, who conducts diversified in health, just get us Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval to begin a clinical trial of phase III in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease with one of its products, marketed in Europe under the name of Kiovig. It is an association of a broad spectrum of immune globulin prescribed mainly in immunocompromised patients such as people with AIDS or cancer and undergoing chemotherapy. But an anti-inflammatory effect has also been detected in people receiving Kiovig. But Alzheimer's disease also has an inflammatory component. Hence the assumption that Kiovig could be beneficial for patients who suffer from it.

Test a product that has been proven in another therapeutic indication to better exploit its potential is familiar to the American group. He for example already led her with Tisseel, a matrix to high concentration of Fibrinogen, developed to stop the diffuse bleeding in surgery of soft tissue (cardiopulmonary, abdomen) and whose use has been extended to wound healing of diabetic ulcers and surgery of the bone.

New areas

With 40,000 employees and a turnover of 11.3 billion euros, the American Baxter was originally built its development on innovation. Born in 1931 in a renovated automobile showroom and not in a garage as Intel , the company creates the first industrial production of intravenous solutions unit. A series of other first will follow: first blood bag plastic in 1954, first in 1956, the first artificial kidney pocket of ambulatory peritoneal dialysis in 1978, first Pocket nutrition tricompartimentée in 1998, etc.

Soon, Baxter asserting itself as a specialist in hospital care. By drawing on its expertise in the intravenous administration of solutions (blood products, anesthesia, parenteral nutrition...) and in dialysis, he accompanies patients with serious diseases such as renal failure, hemophilia, cancer or infections.

The approach to innovation implementation by Baxter is multifaceted: optimization of existing products by incremental innovation, entry on new areas, adaptation to the evolution of the profession of its main client, the hospital. It regularly enhances some of its flagship products, as the factor VIII (box read), Baxter does not hesitate to embark on completely new areas where it considers that they are carriers. This is the case for example vaccines or stem cells. To do this, it is mainly through acquisitions. Conversely, it does not hesitate to abandon certain activities where it considers not to be in a favourable position. It is the case for example of the heart even though he returned somewhat with his work on stem cells. While he was pioneer of implantable valves, he preferred in 2000 creating a "spin off" named Edwards Lifesciences to free himself. The same year, he bought out Colombia, an American company specializing in vaccines, for 380 million dollars, and Asta Medica, a subsidiary of the German Cancer Degussa. Two areas on which Baxter put now, especially with a vaccine development against avian influenza (H5N1).

Three areas of research

"Today, explains Norbert Riedel, Baxter innovation policy is oriented around three axes following the evolution of medical practice: the development of prevention, the individualization of treatment and monitoring patients remotely." To prevent nosocomial infections related to the placement of catheters, Baxter is working on a method of antimicrobial nanoenrobage can kill 99.9 of hospital germs, resistant staphylococci. To accompany the development of distance from patients with chronic disease monitoring, Baxter, who is a leader in dialysis, developed an apparatus for peritoneal dialysis at home called HomeChoicePro. Equipped with a memory card, this apparatus which marketing begins is capable of transmitting remote physician data are recorded.

All projects with a budget of R & D of 760 million in 2007.