Baxter’s Flu Shots Could Spur Huge Gains

Article Excerpt

BAXTER INTERNATIONAL INC. $44 (New York symbol BAX; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; WSSF Rating: Average) is a leading maker of medical equipment, such as intravenous drug delivery systems, blood collection devices and dialysis equipment. Baxter also makes vaccines for various diseases including influenza and smallpox. This is just a small part of Baxter’s business, but it has huge potential. Baxter’s expertise is helping it win more contracts to make vaccines for the avian (or bird) flu virus. It has just won a three-year contract to supply 16 million bird flu shots to Austria’s health ministry. The company has a similar agreement to supply two million doses to the British government. Meanwhile, Baxter is is now working with the National Institutes of Health on a new way to make flu shots of any kind in fermenting tanks. This is much faster and cheaper than the traditional method of growing flu vaccine inside chicken eggs. If Baxter perfects this new technology, it should help the…