Baxter Acquires Assets from Maker of Antitrypsin Drug

The acquisition of certain assets from Alpha Therapeutic Corp. (Los Angeles, CA, USA) has been announced by Baxter Healthcare Corp. (Deerfield, IL, USA).

Baxter has acquired the alpha-1 antitrypsin therapeutic developed by Alpha Therapeutic, called Aralast. Aralast is an alpha-1 proteinase inhibitor (A1PI) that has been cleared by the US Food and Drug Administration for treatment of hereditary emphysema. Patients with A1PI deficiency have reduced serum levels of A1PI, an important blood protein processed in the liver that helps protect lung tissue from damage caused by enzymes that are released by white blood cells. If untreated, A1PI can result in emphysema and premature death.

Baxter sold three plasma collection centers acquired from Alpha Therapeutic as well as a central testing laboratory and is closing 38 US plasma collection centers included in the acquisition. The company stated that it expects sales of Aralast to be modest in 2004 and to grow to about US$200 million per year within the next five years.





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