Baxter's reputation marred by heparin

DEERFIELD, Ill., April 27 (UPI) -- The image of the Illinois-based drug company Baxter International Inc. has been sullied by the recall of heparin, Chief Executive Bob Parkinson said.

Parkinson, Baxter Chairman and Chief, said the company's international reputation has suffered from the scandal surrounding the blood-thinning drug, and his 47,000 workers should view it as a learning experience, the Chicago Tribune reported Saturday.

"This has clearly been damaging to our reputation. Let's objectively and critically, assess ourselves. How do we get better?" Parkinson said.

Heparin was taken off the market eight weeks ago after reports surfaced that it caused possibly fatal reactions.

The Food and Drug Administration has recorded more than 80 fatalities and 1,000 negative reactions in people who experienced at least one allergic response to heparin since the beginning of 2007.

The FDA said last week the heparin produced by Baxter and other companies was tainted in China with a chemically altered dietary supplement made from animal cartilage.

Parkinson said the substance was likely put into circulation by an "unscrupulous character" who was seeking profit.