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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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                          NORTHFIELD LABORATORIES INC.

                (Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)

                                C. ROBERT COATES
                                ----------------

     (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: September 03, 2002

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Press Release

SOURCE: C. Robert Coates

ROBERT COATES AND BERT WILLIAMS JOINED BY EXPERT ON FDA

LAKE  FOREST, Ill., Sept. 4 -- C. Robert Coates, running with Bert  Williams  as
independent  candidates for seats on the board of Northfield  Laboratories  Inc.
(Nasdaq: NFLD), said Dr. Jur Strobos, former Director of Policy Research for the
U.S.  Food  and Drug Administration, has joined the Coates/Williams team  as  an
adviser.

"The future success of Northfield depends on its interaction with the FDA," said
Coates. "For that reason, we have added Jur Strobos, a recognized expert, to our
advisory group."

Dr.  Strobos  received  his M.D. at the University of Chicago,  practiced  as  a
trauma surgeon, and then received his J.D. at the University of Pennsylvania. He
served  as Director of Policy in the FDA's Office of the Commissioner for  3-1/2
years before re-entering the private sector in 1995 as a shareholder/partner  of
the  law  firm  of Greenberg Traurig. He is now with Olsson, Frank  &  Weeda  in
Washington, D.C.

Since 1986, Dr. Strobos has specialized in new medical product development.  His
area  of  expertise  includes  development of  successful  strategies  for,  and
management  of,  the clinical and regulatory process for new  medical  products.
This   work   includes  the  design,  completion  and  submission  of  clinical,
statistical, chemical, compliance and other scientific data supporting new  drug
or  device  approval as well as associated activities such as public  relations,
development  of  marketing  strategies and  communications  with  professionals,
support  for public offerings and negotiations with potential strategic alliance
partners.

Dr.  Strobos'  experience  will  be valuable to  shareholders  in  understanding
Northfield's  dealings with the FDA. Northfield has made repeated references  to
its ongoing constructive dialogue with the agency. However, it has been almost a
year since the FDA issued Northfield a refusal-to-file (RTF) letter for its only
potential  revenue  source,  PolyHeme. And the  company  has  never  provided  a
detailed account to its shareholders.

Dr. Strobos, who was at the FDA when the original RTF regulation was issued, and
is  considered a foremost authority on the subject, addressed Northfield's  RTF,
saying:  "I have concerns about Northfield's expertise in dealing with the  FDA.
Regulatory  expertise is essential for this company. For example, an RTF  letter
is provided by the FDA only in the setting of a wholly inadequate filing that is
apparent to anyone on even a cursory examination. The purpose of an RTF  is  not
to  provide an opinion on the safety and efficacy of the product but to tell the
company  that  simple well known and required components of an  application  are
missing."

The  Center for Biologics Evaluation & Research (CBER) division of the  FDA  has
summarized  data  on filings and RTFs in its annual reports.  Of  165  biologics
reviewed during the fiscal period 1999 to 2001 only three, or 1.8%, received  an
RTF.  (www.fda.gov/cber/inside/annrptpart5.htm). This is in direct contradiction
to  a  statement  issued  by Northfield Laboratories on Nov.  19,  2001  saying,
"Refusals for first-time submissions are not uncommon."

Dr.  Strobos  also  addressed comments made by Northfield in an  Aug.  29  press
release titled "Northfield Builds Support for PolyHeme in Medical and Scientific
Communities." Northfield said that as a result of the statements by Mr.  Coates,
"it  was necessary for Northfield to provide a letter to the FDA confirming that
Mr. Coates is not authorized to speak on behalf of Northfield and that we do not
share the views expressed in his press releases."

Dr.  Strobos  said, "A company should not send a letter to the FDA  regarding  a
proxy  contest. No such response is required by the FDA. And, the candidate  may
lose  in which case his statements are irrelevant; or the candidate may win,  in
which  case  the  response will have to be withdrawn. It is simply  not  a  wise
action."

Coates  and  Williams said the quickest way to realize shareholder value  is  to
bring in a major pharmaceutical company now to provide the necessary capital and
management talent to gain FDA approval for PolyHeme.

They  remind  shareholders  to  elect two directors  who  will  represent  their
interests and hold management accountable by casting the white ballots  for  the
September 13 election.

If you are a shareholder with comments, suggestions or questions about receiving
a  Coates-Williams proxy, 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