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

Main Category: Blood / Hematology
Article Date: 27 Feb 2005 - 10:00 PDT

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Donation Expected to Assist Hundreds of People Living with Hemophilia in 13 Countries -

Bayer Healthcare LLC, Biological Products Division (Bayer BP), announced it is donating 2.15 million units of Kogenate(reg) FS (Antihemophilic Factor [Recombinant], Formulated with Sucrose) to the World Federation of Hemophilia (WFH). The Kogenate(reg) FS donation will be distributed by WFH to support the treatment needs of hemophilia patients in 13 countries in southeast and central Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and Central and South America.

The specific countries receiving Kogenate(reg) FS include Thailand, Mongolia, Nepal, Indonesia, Vietnam, Pakistan, Jordan, Sudan, Eritrea, Cameroon, Nigeria, Venezuela, and the Dominican Republic. It is expected that the donation will be used locally to provide care for several hundred hemophilia patients according to their specific treatment needs. The donated Kogenate(reg) FS will provide clotting factor for patients who have been awaiting required surgical and dental procedures, as well as other emergency or life-saving situations.

Bayer BP has made multiple product donations to the WFH to assist people living with hemophilia in developing countries. Since 2002, the company has donated more than 30 million units of factor VIII products for use by thousands of patients in more than 50 countries. This includes a single donation in 2004 of more than 12.2 million units of Kogenate(reg) FS (Antihemophilic Factor [Recombinant], Formulated with Sucrose). The donations, in addition to the company's continued support of World Hemophilia Day and other WFH programs, are part of an ongoing corporate commitment to improve and increase the delivery of quality care for hemophilia patients around the world.

"We are extremely grateful to Bayer BP for this donation and for their continued support of WFH programs," said WFH President Mark Skinner. "Because as many as 75 percent of the world's hemophilia patients live in countries without adequate medical care, patients in these countries are often dependent on donations of free product as their sole source of treatment. Bayer BP has repeatedly demonstrated a strong commitment to provide assistance for hemophilia patients in the developing world."

"We are pleased to be able to begin 2005 with this donation of Kogenate(reg) FS that will help so many people living with hemophilia in the developing world," said Michael E. Mathews, vice president, Global Strategic Marketing, Kogenate(reg), Bayer Biological Products Division. "We continue to work closely with WFH to improve hemophilia care globally, and we appreciate their assistance in distributing the product where it is most needed. As an industry leader, we feel a responsibility to do all we can for those living with hemophilia, including supporting efforts such as World Hemophilia Day to increase awareness and drive resources to programs that improve care around the world."

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.

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, Diabetes Care, Diagnostics and Pharmaceuticals. 34,600 people are employed by Bayer HealthCare worldwide.

Aim of Bayer HealthCare 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.
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