Baxter International Inc has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire substantially all of the assets of Autros Healthcare Solutions Inc. Autros is a Canadian-based international leader of wireless, Internet-enabled patient information and medication management systems that improve patient safety by linking all health-care professionals involved in patient care with the decision-support needed to safely and correctly administer medication.

Upon closing, Autros Healthcare Solutions will become part of Baxter's Medication Delivery business that specializes in providing electronic infusion pumps and other devices used by health-care professionals to deliver intravenous medications. The incorporation of the Autros technology into the Baxter family of products will help to accelerate Baxter's vision of enhancing drug delivery systems that improve patient outcomes.

Using wireless hand-held computer devices, the Autros Point-of-Care Patient Management System links the physician, pharmacist and nurse in an interdisciplinary approach to patient care. The Autros System includes a computerized physician order-entry module, an inpatient pharmacy module, a wireless nurse charting system and an electronic patient medical record. Providing a comprehensive patient safety solution for the delivery of medication in a hospital environment, Autros' software modules seamlessly link to existing hospital systems using standard HL7 interfaces and can operate on a variety of computers and personal digital-assistant products to transmit orders and update patient medical records.

Both companies anticipate that the transaction will close in early January 2002, subject to regulatory and other approvals. The financial terms of the agreement will not be disclosed.