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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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Filed by a Party other than the Registrant [X]
    Check the appropriate box:
     [ ]   Preliminary Proxy Statement
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           Rule 14a-6(e)(2))
     [ ]   Definitive Proxy Statement
     [ ]   Definitive Additional Materials
     [X]   Soliciting Material Under Rule 14a-12


                          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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     1)     Amount Previously Paid:
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     3)     Filing Party: C. Robert Coates
     4)     Date Filed: August 21, 2002

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INDEPENDENT SHAREOWNER REPRESENTATION ON NORTHFIELD LABS' BOARD OF DIRECTORS

The Robert Coates Group

August 21, 2002

BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON C. ROBERT COATES

- -       Mr. Robert Coates owns 644,200 shares in Northfield Laboratories,
        Inc. (Northfield), bought in the open market from 05/27/98 through
        08/17/01

- -       Mr. Coates started buying Northfield shares at $13.94 per share and
        has, at the high end, paid $21.00 for some of his shares

- -       The average price he paid for his shares is $14.95 per share

- -       Coates and Mr. Bert Williams, an associate, are running for election
        to Northfield's board

- -       All seven seats - expanded from six seats -- are up for election
        during the company's September 13, 2002 annual shareholder meeting

- -       Mr. Coates is not seeking control of the board

AREAS OF CONCERN - BUSINESS RESULTS

- -       Northfield's stock price has fallen 91% since March, 2000

- -       Northfield lost $10.7 million in fiscal year 2002 and has lost $98.2
        million since its inception in 1985

- -       The company has $18.4 million of cash left - estimated to stretch
        for another 18 months of operation

- -       It could potentially burn through all of its cash while trying to
        re-file its application with the FDA - new trials and/or improved
        manufacturing processes could consume significant time and cash

- -       Northfield will need approximately $45 million to $50 million to
        fund a manufacturing facility to support the commercialization of
        PolyHeme

- -       In August of 2001, Northfield filed a deficient application for its
        blood substitute PolyHeme with the FDA, prompting the FDA to issue a
        Refuse to File (RTF) letter to Northfield (November 2001)

- -       Without a partner Northfield will not have enough cash to bring
        PolyHeme to market nor have the talent to manage the FDA approval
        process or the commercialization of the product

- -       In 1997, Northfield reportedly refused a buyout offer from a major
        pharmaceutical company, an offer rumored to exceed $30 per share; no
        shareholder input was requested

- -       Northfield has lost key executives over the last five years,
        including (but not limited to) a VP of Operations, a Manager of
        Manufacturing, a VP of Marketing and a Manager of Quality Assurance

- -       Northfield appears to have no chief scientist or VP of Research on
        staff (since 1995)

AREAS OF CONCERN - CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

- -       The Northfield board, by the standards of the Council for
        Institutional Investors, would be composed of a majority of non-
        independent directors (Messrs. Gould, Moss, Ness and Savner)

- -       Northfield "removed" Mr. DeWoskin from the CEO position only to
        immediately rehire him as a consultant at a much higher salary (a
        14.9% increase!)

- -       The company refused to disclose information about the Phase III
        clinical trials results and RTF letter from the FDA to its
        shareowners

- -       Northfield's CEO is also the Chairman of the Board

- -       Two nominees draw significant consulting income from Northfield (Dr.
        Ness and Dr. Moss; $80,000 and $60,000 in 2002 respectively) - the
        Northfield proxy outlines that the company expects that both
        contracts will be extended in fiscal year 2003

- -       One nominee, Mr. David Savner, who until April 1998 (approximately
        four years ago), had been Northfield's chief outside counsel for
        more than a decade

- -       Some board members up for reelection have attended less than 75% of
        the board and committee meetings over the last four years (Mr.
        Savner in 2002 - 50%, and Mr. Chelberg in 2001 and 1999 - 67% and
        60% respectively)

- -       The compensation committee approved over $400,000 in bonuses for
        filing a deficient FDA application for PolyHeme

- -       The compensation committee, until the year 2000, included an insider
        of the company -- the CEO (Mr. DeWoskin)

- -       The audit committee, until 1999, included an insider of the company
        -- the President (Mr. Gould)

- -       Two nominees have affiliations to PepsiAmericas, Inc., which owns
        10.5% of the outstanding shares but would control 28.6% of the board
        of directors

- -       The nominating committee includes a non-independent director, Mr.
        Savner, and refused to discuss Mr. Coates' credentials or meet with
        Mr. Bert Williams

- -       The board has refused to respond to shareholders' questions and
        inquiries

- -       One nominee, Mr. Olshansky, has been cited by the SEC for multiple
        violations regarding his disclosure of holdings and transactions in
        the securities beneficially owned by his partnerships

- -       Mr. Olshansky was also President of Medstone International, Inc.
        during the time Medstone failed to win FDA approval for its
        equipment

- -       Two directors, Messrs. Chelberg and Olshansky, were added to the
        board to represent their respective companies' respective business
        interests. According to Northfield's 1995 Schedule 14A they were on
        the board because of "agreements" that each company "designate an
        individual to serve as a director" of Northfield "as long as certain
        minimum share ownership requirements are satisfied." The Schedule
        14A also indicates that "the share ownership of" the two companies
        "no longer satisfies the minimum share ownership requirements
        contained in such agreements."

AREAS OF CONCERN - TECHNOLOGY

- -       Northfield has stated that the FDA had issues with "the validity of
        the historical control group, and the actual trial design itself" as
        well as with "certain manufacturing processes and `chemistries' the
        company plans to use in the production of PolyHeme"

- -       There are no ongoing Northfield trials and manufacturing standard
        operating procedures appear not to be in compliance

- -       There appears to be no ongoing R&D at Northfield at this time

- -       Competitors Biopure and Hemosol are gaining ground and appear to
        have extensive Phase III operations

- -       Biopure filed with the FDA on July 31, 2002

- -       Biopure has received approval in South Africa and is gathering data
        on patients

THE COATES AND WILLIAMS ACTION PLAN:

- -       Gain representation on Northfield's board as independent directors

- -       Find a major pharmaceutical partner for Northfield to provide cash
        and experienced management to get PolyHeme approved by the FDA

- -       Raise PolyHeme's undeserved low profile

- -       Ask Northfield to partner with companies to extend the 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

- -       Keep investors informed of Northfield news

COATES' AND WILLIAMS' EXPERTISE IN FINANCE, MARKETING, THE FDA REGULATORY
PROCESS AND THE WORLDWIDE DISTRIBUTION OF MEDICAL PRODUCTS WILL SERVE THE
SHAREOWNERS WELL

- -       For over 20 years, Mr. C. Robert ("Bob") Coates has been the Chief
        Executive Officer of Management Insights, Inc., a tax consulting
        firm that specializes in tax credits and incentives. In addition,
        Mr. Coates has over 15 years of experience in investing in
        technology and software companies. Mr. Coates earned a Bachelor of
        Arts Degree in Economics with Distinction from the University of
        Virginia, an MBA in Finance, and a Ph.D. in Finance, Economics and
        Accounting from the University of Chicago. Mr. Coates served on the
        Board of Directors of Borland Software Corporation, a publicly
        traded company, from June 1999 to February 2000.

- -       Mr. Bert R. Williams III is the President of Immuno Concepts N.A.
        Ltd., a leading manufacturer and worldwide distributor of medical
        diagnostic kits. He is responsible for production, marketing,
        technical support and operations. He implemented the program that
        achieved ISO 9001 certification at Immuno Concepts. Mr. Williams has
        also served as Director of Marketing at Immuno Concepts since 1985.
        In that role, he was responsible for global strategic marketing
        development and direction; he expanded international market
        penetration from four countries to more than sixty. He holds a
        Bachelor of Science degree from Wayne State University and an MBA
        from Marquette University. He also serves as a director of the
        Intestinal Health Institute, a non-profit Dallas-based organization.

C. ROBERT COATES IS SUPPORTED BY A SEASONED TEAM

- -       The Robert Coates Group team includes Wilhelm H. Ruiz, Managing
        Director. Mr. Ruiz has over 18 years of experience in the High Tech
        Manufacturing, Telecommunications, and Consumer Goods industries,
        including over seven years' consulting experience with Ernst & Young
        and IBM. He was most recently a Principal in IBM's Business
        Innovation Services group helping clients with complex and large-
        scale business and IT transformation projects. Prior to IBM Mr. Ruiz
        was the Director of Process Innovation at Ameritech. Mr. Ruiz earned
        a Bachelor of Science Degree Summa Cum Laude in Aerospace
        Engineering, Master of Science Degrees in Mechanical and
        Manufacturing Engineering, and an MBA with High Honors all from
        Boston University.

- -       The group also includes Simon A. Goldberg, Life Sciences Project
        Manager. Mr. Goldberg's background includes a Bachelor of Science
        from the University of Michigan concentrating on Cellular Molecular
        Biology and Chemistry and training as a medical geneticist and
        genetic counselor at the University of Pittsburgh and their Graduate
        School of Public Health. While in Pittsburgh Simon worked as a
        molecular geneticist in the field of ophthalmology developing novel
        laboratory techniques to facilitate locating genes. Mr. Goldberg
        later worked at the American Medical Association (AMA), where he
        developed policy concentrating on new medical science, including
        molecular medicine, medical genetics, and transplantation. While
        working at the AMA Simon completed an MBA at DePaul University. His
        business studies concentrated on marketing, entrepreneurship, and e-
        business.

NORTHFIELD HAS SHOWN A COMPLETE DISREGARD FOR TRUE CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
PRACTICES

NORTHFIELD'S CORPORATE GOVERNANCE SCORECARD

- -       Will the majority of Northfield's board be composed of independent
        directors? NO

- -       Is Northfield's nominating committee composed of all independent
        members? NO

- -       Was Northfield working in the best interests of its shareholders
        when it "removed" its CEO only to "rehire" him with a 15% increase
        in salary?  NO

- -       Did Northfield show good judgment by allowing its "old" CEO to serve
        as part of the compensation committee up until 2000? NO

- -       Did the compensation committee act in the best interest of
        shareholders when it increased salaries and options of Northfield's
        executives in the face of a declining stock price? And, did it act
        wisely in approving over $400,000 in bonuses for filing a deficient
        FDA application for PolyHeme in 2002?  NO

- -       Can two of the Northfield-endorsed candidates who earned $60,000 and
        $80,000, respectively, in consulting fees and who will continue to
        work as consultants be considered independent?  NO

- -       Has Northfield disclosed material information regarding its Phase
        III trials and RTF letter from the FDA?  NO

- -       Have two of Northfield's directors (Savner and Chelberg) met the
        basic requirements of attending 75% or more of the annual board
        meetings? NO

- -       Has Northfield tried to separate the CEO position from that of the
        Chairman of the Board? NO