Baxter International Inc. develops, manufactures and markets products that save and sustain the lives of people with hemophilia, immune disorders, infectious diseases, kidney disease, trauma, and other chronic and acute medical conditions. As a global, diversified healthcare company, Baxter applies a unique combination of expertise in medical devices, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology to create products that advance patient care worldwide. These products are used by hospitals, kidney dialysis centers, nursing homes, rehabilitation centers, doctors’ offices, clinical and medical research laboratories, and by patients at home under physician supervision.
Baxter manufactures products in 26 countries and sells them in more than 100 countries, with approximately 60 percent of its sales coming from outside the United States. Baxter subsidiaries in approximately 40 countries employ their own sales forces, while sales in other countries are made through independent distributors or sales agents. In 2008, Baxter’s global sales totaled approximately $12.3 billion. At year-end 2008, Baxter employed approximately 48,500 people worldwide.
Baxter operates in three business segments:
The BioScience business is a leading manufacturer of recombinant and plasma-based proteins to treat hemophilia and other bleeding disorders; plasma-based therapies to treat immune deficiencies, alpha 1-antitrypsin deficiency, burns and shock, and other chronic and acute blood-related conditions; products for regenerative medicine, such as biosurgery products and technology used in adult stem-cell therapies; and vaccines.
The Medication Delivery business manufactures products used in the delivery of fluids and drugs to patients. These include intravenous (IV) solutions and administration sets, premixed drugs and drug-reconstitution systems, pre-filled vials and syringes for injectable drugs, IV nutrition products, infusion pumps, and inhalation anesthetics, as well as products and services related to pharmacy compounding, and drug formulation and packaging technologies.
The Renal business provides products to treat end-stage renal disease, or irreversible kidney failure. It is a leading manufacturer of products for peritoneal dialysis (PD), a home therapy Baxter helped commercialize 30 years ago. Products include PD solutions and automated cyclers that provide therapy overnight. The business also distributes products for hemodialysis, which generally takes place in a hospital or clinic.
While no single company competes with Baxter in all of its businesses, Baxter faces competition in each of its segments from international and domestic healthcare companies of all sizes. Consolidation in the company’s customer base and by its competitors, along with global efforts toward healthcare cost containment, continue to exert pricing and market share pressures worldwide. Sales of Baxter’s products also are dependent, in part, on the availability of reimbursement by government payers as well as private insurers.
Investment in research and development to create new, innovative products is essential to Baxter’s growth. Baxter’s products, facilities and operations are subject to regulation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and other regulatory authorities worldwide. Baxter works with such authorities to develop and manufacture safe and effective products for its customers.
