On Aug. 19, 2014, Baxter announced that it plans to expand its state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Opelika, Ala., to help address the growing global demand for dialyzers, a critical component used in hemodialysis therapy (HD).

Baxter will invest nearly $300 million in the Opelika site to add 230,000 square feet and several production lines. The company currently employs about 170 people at the facility, and anticipates it will begin the hiring process of the additional 200 workers in 2016 to support the expansion, which is when the first commercial production on the new lines is slated to begin.

Currently, there are nearly two million patients worldwide with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) receiving HD therapy. A growing population with diabetes, blood pressure issues and other key causes of kidney disease, means the incidence rate of ESRD and the need for dialysis is also growing by an estimated six to seven percent annually around the world. For many patients with ESRD, HD therapy is performed to remove waste and excess fluids from the body by processing their blood through an artificial kidney (or the dialyzer). Clean blood is then returned to the body after the filtering process is complete.

Baxter International, through its subsidiaries, develops, manufactures and markets products that save and sustain the lives of people with hemophilia, immune disorders, cancer, infectious diseases, kidney disease, trauma and other chronic and acute medical conditions. As a global, diversified healthcare company, Baxter applies a unique combination of expertise in medical devices, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology to create products that advance patient care worldwide.