PAL Equatorial Palm Oil Plc

RNS No 2760k
PALL CORPORATION
21st September 1998

 
(BW)(PALL)(PLL) FDA Blood Products Advisory Committee Recommends
Universal Leukocyte Reduction of Blood Transfusion Components
 
     Business Editors, Health/Medical Writers
 
     EAST HILLS, N.Y.--(BW HealthWire)--Sept. 21, 1998--
 
     A New Level of Safety for America's Blood Supply
 
By a vote of 13 to 0, the Food and Drug Administration's Blood
Products Advisory Committee (BPAC) approved a recommendation that,
"the benefit to risk ratio associated with leukoreduction is
sufficiently great to justify routine leukoreduction of all
non-leukocyte transfusion blood components.... ." Filtering blood
before transfusion removes leukocytes (white blood cells), thereby
reducing the risk of transmitting into the body a number of bacteria
and viruses, as well as reducing adverse transfusion reactions and
improving patient outcomes.

"This recommendation is a milestone which will lead to
significantly increasing the safety of the US blood supply," said
Barry Wenz, MD, Corporate Medical Director and Vice President of Pall
Corporation (NYSE: PLL). The establishment of universal leukocyte
reduction is already the policy of the United Kingdom, France,
Austria, Norway, Malta, Ireland and Portugal. Canada filters all
platelets and a growing proportion of red cells.
 
Benefits of Leukocyte Reduction
 
Multiple viruses (including cytomegalovirus (CMV), Human T-cell
Lymphotrophic Virus (HTLV-1) and Epstein-Barr virus) and bacteria
(including Yersinia) are harbored in white blood cells. Blood donors
are routinely screened for only a few of these contaminants.
Filtration is an important line of defense against these agents and,
perhaps, other emerging or yet-to-be discovered viruses or bacteria.
Leukocyte reduction has been shown in scientific studies to reduce the
number of infectious agents in blood components. Pall's leukocyte
reduction filters reduce the risk of transmitting many of these
pathogens and complement current screening procedures.

Unfiltered blood transfusions have a major negative impact on the
immune systems of all recipients. Clinical studies have shown that
leukocyte reduction reduces transfusion-related suppression of the
immune system and helps protect against post-surgical infection. Use
of leukoreduced blood components has resulted in a reduction of both
morbidity and mortality of surgical patients, as well as a significant
decrease in the length of hospital stay and costs. An additional risk
for patients, such as those with cancer and leukemia who require
platelet transfusions, is platelet refractoriness, in which patients
develop antibodies which disable the platelets they need. Leukocytes
are responsible for this life-threatening complication which can be
effectively reduced by filtration.
 
Blood Filtration in the United States
 
In the United States, about 12 million units of blood are
collected each year for the one in 20 people who will need a
transfusion in their lifetime. Currently, some 60 to 70 percent of
platelet units and 20 percent of red blood cell units are filtered by
individual hospitals and blood centers, which have made the decision
to provide this extra measure of protection for their patients.
 
About Pall
 
Pall Corporation is a leader in filtration technology with the
broadest based filtration and separations capabilities in the world.
The company develops and manufactures filters that are used by a
diverse, worldwide customer base, primarily in health care, aeropower,
and fluid processing. 

In health care, Pall's largest business segment, Pall filters are
found in many aspects of medical and hospital practice, as well as in
pharmaceutical manufacturing, making a valuable contribution to 
patient protection and raising the quality of patient care. Pall 
Corporation believes that all patients requiring a blood transfusion 
should be provided with the information they need to make an informed
choice including a discussion with their physician on risks and 
benefits and transfusion options.  

Pall Corporation, with annual sales over $1 billion, is based in
East Hills, New York and employs 9,000 people throughout the world.
The Company's shares are listed on the New York Stock Exchange (PLL)
and the London Stock Exchange (0668260).
 
For more information on leukocyte reduction, please visit the
consumer information Web site underwritten by Pall Corporation at
http://www.bloodtransfusion.com or visit Pall Corporation's Web site
at http://www.pall.com.
 
CONTACT: Pall Corporation, East Hills 
              Patrice Radowitz, (516) 484-3600
 
 
END

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