In its latest update on its North Carolina manufacturing facility in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, Baxter International said it aims to gradually resume production at its North Cove facility in North Carolina.
In a securities filing on Wednesday, October 9, Baxter announced the company expects to restore production to 90 percent to 100 percent of the allocated supply for certain intravenous (IV) solution products by the end of 2024.
In the latest update on the company’s website, Baxter said it is “advancing multiple paths to help ensure we are appropriately managing inventory and minimizing disruption to patient care as we work to fully restore our North Cove manufacturing operations.”
Some of these paths include instituting allocations to limit stockpiling by placing constraints on what a customer can order based on their purchase history, needs and currently available and projected inventory.
The North Cove manufacturing facility in Marion, North Carolina, which is the largest producer of IV and peritoneal dialysis (PD) solutions in the US, was significantly affected by flooding after unprecedented rain and storm surges.
According to a media briefing by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in Asheville, North Carolina last week, the site provides approximately 60 percent of the country’s IV fluids.
The plant remains closed as Baxter works to assess and repair the damage, including addressing the breach of a levee and damage to bridges accessing the site.
Related: Top IV Fluid Maker Baxter Uncertain About Recovery Time for Facility Hit by Hurricane Helene
Baxter said it is continuing to work on delivering supplies to current PD patients, working with partners “to conserve and identify alternate sources of supply across all PD product categories.”
Other products Baxter is focusing on include increasing supplies of high-concentration dextrose and sterile water for injection allocations. The company hopes to further increase certain product codes by the beginning of November.
Baxter said it is also working to increase allocations for IV solutions and nutrition products to 100 percent for designated children’s hospitals, recognizing the vulnerable patient population they serve.
Overall, Baxter’s “goal continues to be to restore customers to 100 percent allocation levels as soon as possible.”
The manufacturer explained it is working to achieve this through a combination of importing products from other Baxter facilities, resuming operations and scaling up production at the North Cove facility.
To scale production across its global locations, Baxter shared that it is working closely with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on temporary importation of products to increase available inventory.
The company also expressed disappointment at the “tremendous amount of misinformation circulating in the marketplace, and we are disheartened to see blatant speculation fueling patient and customer concerns.”
Baxter stressed, “As always, prioritizing patient care is our goal, and it is our sincere hope that everyone works to uphold this standard.”
As the country is dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, Hurricane Milton made its way into Tampa, Florida on Wednesday.
With a major manufacturing facility in Tampa, ahead of Milton’s landfall, Pfizer announced it will be helping with relief efforts, such as offering financial assistance to the American Red Cross and International Medical Corps for emergency and health services. The pharma giant said it will also collaborate with other donation partners to meet urgent medical supply needs.
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