[ AP article below ]
Baxter International, one of the largest manufacturers of intravenous health care products, said Tuesday that it had agreed to develop and introduce intravenous systems that do not use polyvinyl chloride plastic tubes and bags.
The agreement followed discussions between Baxter and a group of Roman Catholic and labor union shareholders who argued that the polyvinyl chloride, or PVC, bags leach chemicals that are dangerous if the systems are used frequently.
A spokeswoman for Baxter, Deborah Spak, said the company "still stands behind PVC's."
"Where other materials are proven superior to PVC, we will switch to them," Ms. Spak said.
Baxter already makes health care products with alternative materials for some other uses, including blood platelet storage. It did not specify when the alternative IV systems might be offered.
The company announced the agreement as part of an understanding with the shareholder representatives of the retirement plans of two Catholic orders, the Sisters of Mercy Regional Community Center based in Detroit and the Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati and the pension fund manager of the Service Employees International Union.
The agreement drew praise from Greenpeace, the environmental advocacy group, and Health Care Without Harm, a coalition that includes hospitals, nurses organizations and the American Public Health Association.
The groups, which own about 100,000 shares of Baxter stock, withdrew a resolution asking shareholders to vote at the company's annual meeting to order Baxter to phase out vinyl I.V.'s.
The critics of PVC filed a similar resolution on behalf of shareholders of Abbott Laboratories, which is also a leading manufacturer of vinyl intravenous equipment. Abbott opposed the proposal.
Rhonda Luniak, a spokeswoman for Abbott, said the company was working to develop alternatives to PVC's, which she said had been shown to be safe for more than 25 years.
Ms. Luniak said Abbott had signed a five-year agreement to supply products to a buying group of a dozen Catholic hospitals on March 30. The buying group, Consorta Inc., which does not include the Detroit and Cincinnati sisters, agreed to buy Abbott products, including PVC ones, she said.
Health Care Without Harm said 400 million vinyl IV bags were used in the United States each year. Vivian R. Wohl, an independent securities analyst in San Francisco, said the price of the bags was 40 cents to 50 cents each.
Baxter reported 1998 sales of $2.3 billion in IV products, including the bags, solutions, and pumps.
Dr. Peter Orris, a professor of preventive and internal medicine at Rush Medical School in Chicago, said components of the plastics disrupted the body's endocrine system. There was "some data" showing harmful effects to animals, Dr. Orris said, but "no literature that indicated the exact effects on humans."
CHICAGO -- Baxter International Inc. has announced plans to stop making intravenous bags from polyvinyl chloride because of concern over exposing patients to dangerous chemicals.
The announcement Tuesday follows the release of a study commissioned by several health groups that concluded the chemical DEHP never fully bonds with polyvinyl chloride and can leach into fluids in IV bags.
The government classifies DEHP as a probable carcinogen, based on studies of animals given high doses. The Food and Drug Administration, however, said it is unclear whether hospital patients are exposed to sufficient quantities of DEHP to warrant concern.
Polyvinyl chloride, or PVC, is a plastic used widely in products ranging from shower curtains to medical devices. Environmentalists dislike it because the manufacture and incineration of PVC can cause dioxin pollution.
Many IV bags are made of PVC plastic and thus contain DEHP.
Deerfield-based Baxter, a major producer of medical supplies, did not address the concerns over PVC.
``In instances where the overall performance and safety of another material is proven superior to PVC and regulatory clearance is obtained, Baxter will offer an alternative,'' Baxter Vice President Jack McGinley said in a statement.
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