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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
     [ ]   Confidential, for Use of the Commission only (as permitted by
           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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     Item 22(a)(2) of Schedule 14A.
[ ]  Fee computed on table below per Exchange Act Rules 14a-6(i)(1) and 0-11.
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     1)     Amount Previously Paid:
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     3)     Filing Party: C. Robert Coates
     4)     Date Filed: August 28, 2002


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Press Release

SOURCE: C. Robert Coates

COATES  AND  WILLIAMS  ASK  NORTHFIELD'S DIRECTORS TO  CLARIFY  THEIR  COMPANY'S
MISLEADING STATEMENTS

LAKE  FOREST, Ill., Aug. 28 -- C. Robert Coates and Bert  Williams,  independent
candidates  running for  election  to  the  board  of  directors  of  Northfield
Laboratories  Inc.  (Nasdaq: NFLD),  today   mailed   the  following  letter  to
Northfield's directors and nominees:

We  are  requesting that you, as a member of Northfield Laboratories'  board  of
directors,  review material the company distributed August 22, 2002  as  a  dual
press release and intended mailing to Northfield shareholders.  This release was
entitled, "Northfield Questions Credibility of Dissident Director Nominees."

The  material, in our view, includes misleading statements that are at odds with
the company's own by-laws. Its message does a disservice to both the company and
to its shareholders.

Here  is  what Northfield said in its press release: "You should know  that  Mr.
Coates  has chosen to frame his campaign in such a way that if he is successful,
two highly qualified Board nominees, John F. Bierbaum and Dr. Paul M. Ness, will
not be elected at the Annual Meeting."

The  number  of directors, their term of office, and newly created directorships
are defined in Article III from Northfield's Restated Bylaws as follows:

     SECTION 2.  NUMBER, QUALIFICATIONS AND TERM OF OFFICE.  The number  of
     directors shall be not less than three nor more than nine, as shall be
     fixed  from  time  to  time by the Board of Directors  pursuant  to  a
     resolution adopted by a majority of the entire Board of Directors.   A
     director  shall  hold  office until the next  annual  meeting  of  the
     stockholders  of  the  Corporation and until his  successor  shall  be
     elected  and  shall  qualify,  subject to  prior  death,  resignation,
     retirement, disqualification or removal from office.

     SECTION 4.  NEWLY CREATED DIRECTORSHIPS AND VACANCIES.  Subject to the
     rights  of  the  holders  of  any  series  of  Preferred  Stock   then
     outstanding,  newly created directorships resulting from any  increase
     in the authorized number of directors or any vacancies in the Board of
     Directors    resulting    from    death,   resignation,    retirement,
     disqualification, removal from office or other cause shall be fil[l]ed
     by  a  majority of the directors then in office, and the directors  so
     chosen  shall  hold  office for a term expiring  at  the  next  annual
     meeting of stockholders of the Corporation.  No decrease in the number
     of  directors  constituting the Board of Directors shall  shorten  the
     term of any incumbent director.

We  are  very  concerned  that  the misleading statements  by  Northfield  might
unjustly change shareholders' votes in the September 13, 2002 election.

Thank you for your consideration and attention to this important issue.  We look
forward to your response.

Sincerely,

/s/ C. Robert Coates

Contact Information

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