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SCHEDULE 14A INFORMATION
PROXY STATEMENT PURSUANT TO SECTION 14(a)
OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
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Rule 14a-6(e)(2))
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NORTHFIELD LABORATORIES INC.
(Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)
C. ROBERT COATES
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(Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement if other than the Registrant)
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3) Filing Party: C. Robert Coates
4) Date Filed: August 20, 2002
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Press Release
SOURCE: C. Robert Coates
Zengen Sees Potential in Northfield's PolyHeme as Drug Transport Vehicle; Shares
its Interest with Independent Director Candidates Coates, Williams
LAKE FOREST, Ill., August 20 -- PolyHeme, the blood substitute under development
by Northfield Laboratories Inc. (Nasdaq: NFLD), has yet to win approval from the
Food and Drug Administration, but it already has its admirers, say Coates and
Williams. Among them is Zengen Inc., a biopharmaceutical company based in
Woodland Hills, Calif.
Zengen, which is focused on discovering, developing and commercializing products
to treat and prevent infection and inflammation through application of its
patented peptide technologies, is impressed with PolyHeme's ability to carry
oxygen and restore blood volume without the risk of transmitting disease.
"We contacted Northfield about a year ago to explore ways of marrying our
technology with PolyHeme, but we never got a response from the company," said
James Lipton, Zengen's chief scientific officer and chairman of its Scientific
Advisory Board.
When Lipton learned that C. Robert Coates and Bert Williams were running as
independent candidates for Northfield's board of directors and were seeking
partners for PolyHeme, he made his interest known to them.
Lipton said he is intrigued by the idea of using a polymerized hemoglobin
product as a vehicle for transporting drugs, particularly in cases of sepsis, a
condition caused by the presence of microorganisms or their toxins in the tissue
or the bloodstream. "It might be possible for PolyHeme to be used as an agent to
deliver our anti-infective and anti-inflammatory medication. No one has done
this," Lipton said. "Alternatively, Zengen's proprietary technology could be
used as an adjunct to delivery of PolyHeme, against possible infection and
inflammation. Both inflammation and infection are common in cases of blood
loss."
Lipton also likes what he has heard about PolyHeme based on trial results: it
does not set off allergic reactions, and it is cost-effective to use.
The scientist said PolyHeme also might work well in situations that call for
massive delivery of drugs. "It's possible you could link this product with beta
blockers, for example, to control bleeders," Lipton said.
He noted that competitors are making headway but expressed caution about a
bovine-derived product such as the one Biopure is developing. "We'd be happy to
work with Northfield. I still think we could do something beneficial together,"
Lipton concluded.
James Lipton has held his position at Zengen since Jan. 1, 2000, after the
company's merger with Abitis LLC, a biotechnology research and development
company he co-founded with Matthew Lipton. He holds multiple neuropeptide
patents. From 1966 to 2000, Dr. Lipton held positions at the University of Texas
- Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, including professor of physiology and
anesthesiology and pain management.
Lipton currently serves as visiting professor of internal medicine at the
University of Milan Medical School in Milan, Italy. He has had more than 20
years' experience in the pharmaceutical industry and has participated in
numerous research projects funded by the National Institute of Health, the
Department of Defense, health foundations and state governments. Over the years
Lipton has lectured frequently and written hundreds of scientific articles.
Raising the profile of PolyHeme is part of the action plan of Coates and
Williams. In addition, the candidates vow to:
- Find a major pharmaceutical partner for Northfield to provide cash and
experienced management to get PolyHeme approved by the FDA;
- Ask Northfield to partner with companies to extend possible applications
of PolyHeme as a transport delivery mechanism for other drugs;
- Work with the Department of Defense and the Homeland Security Agency to
explore the possibility of stockpiling PolyHeme as a safe, effective
blood substitute for emergencies;
- Gain representation on Northfield's board as independent directors; and
- Keep investors informed of Northfield news.
Contact Information
If you are a Northfield shareholder with comments, suggestions or questions
about receiving a Coates-Williams proxy for the Sept. 13 annual meeting, please
call Simon Goldberg of the Robert Coates Group at 1-800-295-0841, extension 240
or e-mail us at sgoldberg@rcoates.com .
SOURCE: C. Robert Coates