Baxter’s sales in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) were more than $4.4 billion in 2008. The company’s EMEA region employs more than 14,200 people and is headquartered in Zürich, Switzerland.
In Europe, Baxter has 20 production sites that manufacture products that are distributed throughout all Baxter markets around the world. It also has three major research centres.
BioScience
Medication Delivery
Renal
In the Community
BioScience
Baxter is the leader in hemophilia therapy in Europe. It provides patients with state-of-the-art products and constantly strives to improve the quality of life of hemophilia patients across the region. The success story of ADVATE, Baxter’s first blood-free recombinant Factor VIII, began in 2004 with its launch in Europe. Since then, ADVATE has been licensed in thirty countries across Europe and has experienced unparalleled success.
Baxter’s plasma business manufactures a wide variety of life-saving products that benefit thousands of people every day. Its high-quality plasma is processed into life-saving plasma-based therapies for the treatment of life-threatening conditions such as hemophilia and disorders of the immune system. Baxter is committed to identifying new uses and indications in neurology and immunology; optimizing plasma supply through yield improvements; and enhancing customer convenience through superior packaging, dosing strengths, and new delivery forms. Baxter is also supporting the plasma-related healthcare community through early diagnosis programmes and patient organizations.
With the acquisition of the former Immuno AG in 1996, Baxter also paved the way to its strong success in the vaccines business. FSME-IMMUN, Baxter’s Tick-Borne Encephalitis vaccine, contributes strongly to the growth of Baxter’s BioScience business in Europe. The vaccine was registered first in Austria in 1976 and is now available in more than 25 European countries. Since 1976, more than 90 million doses have been administered. Major contracts in the pandemic vaccines business were also signed recently. In August 2007 Baxter’s subsidiary in the UK entered into an Advanced Purchase Agreement (APA) with the Department of Health giving the government in the UK the option to purchase its vaccine in case the WHO declares a pandemic. Additionally, in 2006 Baxter signed an APA with the Austrian Ministry of Health to supply 16 million doses of pandemic influenza vaccines in case a pandemic would be declared.
Baxter also produces Biosurgery products used to promote haemostasis and wound-sealing in surgery. Our leading fibrin sealant product replicates the natural blood-clotting process to stop bleeding in surgical procedures involving cardiopulmonary bypass, repair of the spleen and colostomy closures.
Medication Delivery
Medication Delivery in the region has a very broad portfolio of products. After the United States, Europe is the second largest market for Baxter. Ten Medication Delivery plants produce more than 400 million units per year in Europe.
Baxter is one of the leading suppliers of intravenous solutions in non-PVC flexible bags in Europe. Over the last few years, the company has been partnering with key opinion leaders, physicians, pharmacists and health organizations to raise the standards of quality and safety associated with the delivery of intravenous medications.
In Europe, Baxter is also the market leader in parenteral nutrition. With a broad portfolio of nutritional products, ranging from multi-chamber bags to vitamins and trace elements, Baxter is able to cover the needs of the majority of patients in hospital as well as those patients being treated at home.
In Anesthesia, Baxter has undertaken major investments during the last years to strengthen its market leadership and position as the only company supplying all three inhalation agents: Suprane, Sevoflurane and Isoflurane. In Europe, the use of Baxter’s gold standard product, Suprane® (desflurane), continues to show double-digit growth. Baxter has also recently introduced the most widely used inhalation anesthetic, Sevoflurane, in the UK, France, Germany and Poland.
Renal
The Renal business produces 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 commercialized thirty years ago. The business also distributes products for hemodialysis, a therapy that generally takes place in a hospital. Major manufacturing sites are based close to the customers in Europe. The largest one is based in Castlebar, Ireland, were PD solutions like Extraneal, Baxter’s non-glucose solution, are manufactured.
Baxter, as leader in home dialysis therapy, has an ongoing commitment to innovate in this field: Since patients require high volumes of PD solutions for this therapy, Baxter established a home delivery service in several countries like Belgium, the Netherlands, the UK and Spain.
In the Community
In 2008, combined charitable giving from Baxter and The Baxter International Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Baxter, totaled nearly $44 million, with $14 million given in Europe. This included more than $4 million in donated product to not-for-profit organizations in 24 countries and nearly $9.3 million in business unit contributions to charitable organizations addressing community needs.
Baxter employees are also actively engaged in the community. Through December 2008, Baxter employees around the world logged 140,000 volunteer hours as part of the Global Service Project. In Europe, employees recorded 6,800 volunteer hours in the community through involvement in a number of initiatives.
