American Red Cross And ZLB Behring To Let Manufacturing Agreement Expire

In a development that will free manufacturing capacity for its branded plasma therapeutics, ZLB Behring, a CSL Limited Company (CSL.AU), and the American Red Cross announced today that they will not renew their current contract manufacturing agreement, set to expire on December 31, 2005. Under that agreement, ZLB Behring manufactures Panglobulin® immunoglobulin and Human Albumin for the Red Cross at its Bern, Switzerland facility.

"Meeting patient needs for immunoglobulin therapy and other services is a key focus of our company, as the leading immune globulin provider worldwide," said Peter Turner, President of ZLB Behring. "The expiration of this agreement will allow us to manufacture more of our intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG), Carimuneâ NF, to help meet demand.

"We will increase plasma supply to Bern from our own extensive collection facilities, and may purchase additional recovered plasma from sources other than the Red Cross as appropriate," Turner continued. "With these plans, ZLB Behring intends to assure that its supply of IVIG to the U.S. market will not be reduced when the contract manufacturing agreement expires."

As previously announced, "the American Red Cross has decided, upon a strategic review of our Plasma Services business, that we will exit the plasma products business so we can focus on our core mission of insuring a supply of safe blood products," said Jack McGuire, Executive Vice President, American Red Cross Biomedical Services.