Baxter signs exclusive agreement with ARZCO Medical Systems Inc.

IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 15, 1996--Baxter Healthcare Corp.'s Cardiovascular Group announced that the Edwards Critical-Care Division has become the exclusive, worldwide distributor of a minimally invasive cardiac pacing technology developed by ARZCO Medical Systems Inc.

According to terms of the agreement, the Edwards Critical-Care Division will offer its worldwide customers ARZCO's Transesophageal Pacing Systems. This technology allows cardiologists to conduct non-exercise stress testing more safely and rapidly than pharmacological stress testing for patients with congestive heart failure and other late-stage cardiovascular diseases. It also allows anesthesiologists to precisely control a patient's heart rate, optimize cardiac performance and immediately control intraoperative hemodynamics without the potential adverse effects sometimes associated with drug interventions.

"Transesophageal pacing's obvious clinical benefits, ease of operation and cost efficiencies complement our portfolio of technologies designed to manage late-stage cardiovascular disease," said Alan Olhoeft, president of Baxter's Edwards Critical-Care Division. "This exclusive agreement with ARZCO Medical Systems further reinforces our goal as the leader in managing late-stage cardiovascular disease."

According to Maynard Ramsey, M.D., Ph.D., chief executive officer and chief science officer for ARZCO Medical Systems: "Baxter's Edwards Critical-Care Division is well-known for its innovative and technically superior products for cardiology, critical care and surgery. They are the ideal company to introduce ARZCO's transesophageal-pacing technology to major markets both domestically and internationally."

ARZCO Medical Systems Inc., based in Tampa, Fla., is the world leader in transesophageal cardiac pacing and monitoring technology. The company is committed to advancing quality patient care through innovation in today's cost containment environment.

Edwards Critical-Care Division is a recognized leader in the development of products that provide clinical information for the management of high-risk and critically ill patients. For more than 25 years, the Swan-Ganz(r) catheter has been the industry standard for measuring pressures inside the heart. The latest version is the CCOmbo(r) Catheter, the first to offer continuous cardiac output with SvO2.

Edwards Critical-Care Division is one of six businesses comprising Baxter's Cardiovascular Group based in Irvine, providing a wide range of products to fight late-stage heart and vascular disease. The Group is a leading supplier of cardiopulmonary systems and services, and a manufacturer of heart valves, cardiac-monitoring systems and vascular catheters. The Group also is a leader in wearable heart-assist systems for patients with severe heart failure.

Baxter Healthcare Corp. is the principal U.S. operating subsidiary of Baxter International Inc. Through its subsidiaries, Baxter is a global medical-products company that is a leader in technologies related to the blood and circulatory system. Baxter has market-leading positions in four global businesses: biotechnology, which develops therapies and products in transfusion medicine; cardiovascular medicine, which develops products and expands services to treat late-stage cardiovascular disease; renal, which develops products and services to improve therapies to fight kidney disease; and intravenous systems and medical products, which develops technologies and systems to improve intravenous medication delivery, and distributes disposable medical products overseas.

CONTACT: Baxter Healthcare Corp.

Laura Brooks, 714/474-6404