Clyde McAuley, M.D., Honored for Lifelong Contributions to Health of Plasma Donors.

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 16, 1999--

Capping a career dedicated to the plasma products industry, Clyde B. McAuley, M.D., was honored Wednesday for his contributions to the health and wellness of plasma donors nationwide.

McAuley accepted the 1999 Alpha Therapeutic Award at the American Blood Resources Association annual meeting. William Hartin, senior vice president, plasma operations of Alpha Therapeutic Corporation, presented the award and also announced that beginning in 2000, the award has been renamed the Clyde B. McAuley Award.

McAuley, who retired this year as medical director of Alpha, began his affiliation with the plasma products industry in 1957, when he joined Courtland Laboratories in Los Angeles as medical director. The company was later acquired by Abbott Laboratories and was incorporated as Alpha Therapeutic in 1978.

In accepting the award, McAuley recalled the history of plasma donations, which are processed into lifesaving products to treat shock, immune disorders and hemophilia. "We've gone from a time when a plasma donor gave whole blood, which was placed in a centrifuge that spun off the red blood cells. The red blood cells were then taken back to the donor and reinfused," recalled McAuley. "Now we have a self-contained, sterile machine that does the whole process and reinfuses the red blood cells through the same needle. It's a much safer and faster process for the donor."

He also discussed the advent of testing donations for hepatitis and HIV. "The blood supply today is extremely safe. I'm proud that Alpha continues to be at the forefront of the effort to develop even more sensitive testing methods. As the first U.S. company to file for Food and Drug Administration approval of Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) testing, Alpha's efforts will help improve the safety of plasma products and will help protect the public health by possibly identifying donors with HIV or hepatitis earlier, allowing them to seek appropriate treatment," he said.

A graduate of the University of California, Berkeley, McAuley earned his medical degree at Temple University School of Medicine in Philadelphia. He is an Emeritus Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Southern California. He previously served on the World Health Organization Advisory Committee on Human Blood Products and was a founding member of the American Blood Resources Association.

The Alpha Therapeutic Award is given annually to an individual or institution that has made a significant contribution in the area of blood and blood products. The American Blood Resources Association is an association founded in 1972 to represent the plasma products industry.

Alpha is a leading developer of plasma-derived biopharmaceutical products including coagulation factors, immune globulins and plasma volume expanders. With headquarters in Los Angeles, the company has more than 3,000 employees. Alpha is committed to providing high-quality, safe and cost-effective therapeutics for improved patient care worldwide.