Bayer Biological Products Donates Kogenate(reg) FS to World Federation of Hemophilia

Main Category: Blood / Hematology
Article Date: 29 Jun 2004 - 9:00 PDT

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Donation representing more than $9.3 million expands Bayer's outreach to developing countries.

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C., USA - Bayer HealthCare LLC, Biological Products Division (Bayer BP), is donating more than 12.2 million units of Kogenate(reg) FS (Antihemophilic Factor [Recombinant], Formulated with Sucrose) to the World Federation of Hemophilia (WFH) for distribution in developing countries. The donation is part of Bayer BP's continuing commitment to improve the state of care for people living with hemophilia around the world.

The donated Kogenate(reg) FS has an approximate market value of $9.3 million dollars and will be used to assist the WFH with hemophilia care in 27 countries around the world.

The product will be used for emergency life saving situations or for patients who have been awaiting necessary surgical and dental procedures. In eastern Europe, product will be distributed in Albania, Azerbaijan, Serbia, Belarus, and Romania.

In Latin America and the Caribbean, it will be distributed in Honduras, El Salvador, the Dominican Republic, Paraguay, Jamaica and Colombia. In Asia, Kogenate(reg) FS will be distributed in India, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Indonesia, Vietnam, Bangladesh, China, and Nepal. Eastern Mediterranean and African countries that will receive product are Lebanon, Kenya, Senegal, Zimbabwe, Sudan, Eritrea, Algeria, and Nigeria.

"We are grateful to Bayer BP for supporting WFH's efforts to assist patients in developing countries," said WFH President Brian O'Mahony. "This contribution of 12.2 million units is significant and will help alleviate the treatment needs of several thousand people with hemophilia around the world. In countries with low gross national income, many with hemophilia live undiagnosed or untreated. Our ability to provide free product has proven to be a critical success factor for improving and sustaining care in these countries."

Bayer BP continues to be a major supporter of WFH initiatives such as World Hemophilia Day, and the International External Quality Assessment Scheme (IEQAS), a new program promoting improved standards of laboratory performance and practice in hemophilia treatment centers worldwide. Additionally, Bayer BP continues to support the WFH's Global Alliance for Progress (GAP) initiative in hemophilia, a project designed to greatly increase the diagnosis and treatment of hemophilia in up to 40 developing countries over the next 10 years. Past support has helped WFH achieve positive results in countries such as Egypt, Georgia, Mexico, and the Philippines.

Commenting on the donation, Michael E. Mathews, vice president, Global Strategic Marketing, Coagulation, Bayer Biological Products division, said, "As a leader in this industry for over thirty years, we understand the needs of the global hemophilia community and strive to do everything we can to improve the state of care for people living with hemophilia. By providing product donations and supporting other initiatives, such as World Hemophilia Day, we are able to increase awareness and help meet the treatment needs of people living with hemophilia in developing countries."

About Kogenate(reg) FS/ KOGENATE(reg) Bayer

Kogenate(reg) FS/KOGENATE(reg) Bayer Antihemophilic Factor (Recombinant), Formulated with Sucrose, is a recombinant factor VIII treatment for hemophilia A that offers a more convenient administration by utilizing a 2.5 mL diluent, the smallest among available factor VIII products. Kogenate(reg) FS/KOGENATE(reg) Bayer does not use albumin in its purification or formulation, and includes a solvent/detergent viral inactivation step, thereby further reducing the potential risk of viral transmission. Kogenate(reg) FS/KOGENATE(reg) Bayer is manufactured at Bayer BP's state of the-art biotechnology facility in Berkeley, Calif.

About Hemophilia

Approximately 400,000 people around the world have hemophilia. Hemophilia is an inherited bleeding disorder characterized by prolonged or spontaneous bleeding, especially into the muscles, joints, or internal organs. The disease is caused by deficient or defective blood coagulation proteins, known as factor VIII or IX. The most common form of the disease is hemophilia A, or classic hemophilia, in which the clotting factor VIII is either deficient or defective. Hemophilia B is characterized by deficient or defective factor IX.

Bayer HealthCare AG, a subgroup of Bayer AG with sales of approximately 8.9 billion Euro in 2003, is one of the world's leading, innovative companies in the health care and medical products industry.

The company combines the global activities of the divisions Animal Health, Biological Products, Consumer Care, Diagnostics Professional Testing Systems and Diagnostics Self Testing Systems and Pharmaceuticals. 34,600 people are employed by Bayer HealthCare worldwide.

Our aim is to discover and manufacture innovative products that will improve human and animal health worldwide. Our products enhance well-being and quality of life by diagnosing, preventing and treating disease.

Forward-looking statements

This news release contains forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by Bayer Group management. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could lead to material differences between the actual future results, financial situation, development or performance of the company and the estimates given here. These factors include those discussed in our public reports filed with the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (including our Form 20-F). The company assumes no liability whatsoever to update these forward-looking statements or to conform them to future events or developments.

Your Contact:

Helmut Schufers
Tel.:+49(0)214/30-58308, Fax: +49(0)214/30-50731
E-Mail: helmut.schaefers@bayerhealthcare.com

Tricia McKernan
Tel.: + (1) 919.316.6316, Fax: + (1) 919.316.6673
E-mail: tricia.mckernan.b@bayer.com