BAXTER RECEIVES OK FOR PLANT EXPANSION.

Byline: Gregory J. Wilcox Staff Writer

THOUSAND OAKS - Baxter International Inc., a medical products maker, said Thursday that it won regulatory approval for a second production unit at its plant that produces a genetically engineered hemophilia therapy.

The company is also seeking Food and Drug Administration permission for a third production site, which will eventually bring to 500 the number of people working at the Thousand Oaks plant.

The facility makes recombinant Factor VIII therapy, basically a therapeutic protein that enables people with the blood-clotting disorder to lead nearly normal lives.

People with hemophilia inject themselves with the clotting factors on average three times per month unless they are on a preventive regimen, in which case they could do it several times a week. Barring other complications or disorders, they can expect to have a near-normal life expectancy.

Hemophilia is caused by the absence or severe deficiency of Factor VIII, a protein in human blood critical for coagulation. It can cause spontaneous, uncontrolled internal bleeding that often brings pain, chronic-joint destruction and, if left untreated, death.

More than 15,000 people in the United States have hemophilia.

Deerfield, Ill.-based Baxter said demand for the product has nearly doubled worldwide since 1995 because of several factors. They include increased use of the therapy to prevent bleeding, rather than treating patients when bleeds occur.

Thursday's development is also critical to Baxter's bottom line.

``Our ongoing expansion programs at the Thousand Oaks facility and solid financial performance in the first half of the year position us well to meet our financial commitments for this year, which include sales growth of approximately 10 percent, earnings growth in the mid-teens and operational cash flow in excess of $500 million,'' Harry M. Jansen Kraemer Jr., Baxter's chairman and chief executive officer, said in a statement.

He said production levels are confidential.

Analysts said the announcement is good news.

A poll of analysts by First Call/Thompson Financial calls for Baxter to earn $3.06 a share for the year, up from $2.86 a share on sales of $6.4 billion in 1999.

``It's very important but expected,'' said Richard Lawrence at Parker/Hunter Inc. ``I'd classify it as a significant increase in capacity.''