Following the recent closure of its manufacturing facility in Marion, North Carolina, from flooding caused by Hurricane Helene, Baxter International is providing some clarity on remediation timelines.
Wednesday, Baxter said (PDF) in a securities filing that its goal is to restart production at the North Cove facility in North Carolina in phases and to reach 90% to 100% of the amount allocated for customers for certain intravenous solution products by the end of 2024.
Through allocations, Baxter is limiting how much customers can order based on their past purchases, medical necessity and inventory. For its "highest demand IV fluids," Baxter says it’s currently supplying direct customers about 40% to 60% of their normal ordering, with the hope to meet the majority of regular demand by year-end.
Baxter supplies some 60% of the U.S.’ IV fluids, according to a media briefing by the Department of Health and Human Services in Asheville, North Carolina, last week. The North Cove facility affected by the storm primarily manufacturers IV and peritoneal dialysis solutions, the company noted in a recent press release.
Baxter added that it will provide periodic updates on restoration and supply efforts at the plant on its website, according to the company’s latest filing.
Baxter is working with customers, regulators and other stakeholders to manage inventory and curb disruption as it tries to restore manufacturing operations at the facility, the company said Wednesday.
Further, Baxter is repurposing capacity at other plants in its network and working with the U.S. FDA to furnish temporary importation of certain IV products.
On the heels of a closure notice on Sept. 29, Baxter said last week that it was unsure when production would come back online at North Cove after floodwaters from Hurricane Helene entered the facility.
Beyond the flood damage, Baxter explained that bridges leading to the site were damaged in the storm. The company said it had set up a temporary bridge to support limited transfers in and out of the site, with the expectation that the Army Corps of Engineers and the North Carolina Department of Transportation would establish a permanent bridge “in the coming weeks.”
Baxter has stressed that it will “spare no resource—human or financial—to resume production” and get patients and providers the critical hospital drugs they need, according to a statement from the company’s CEO, José Almeida.
Baxter’s latest update comes as yet another potentially devastating storm, Hurricane Milton, approaches the Tampa, Florida, area.
The CEO of Pfizer, which has offices in Tampa, on Tuesday announced sweeping aid efforts in light of the impending natural disaster. The New York pharma is providing financial aid to the American Red Cross and International Medical Corps as well as launching a “disaster match” campaign where it will meet employee aid donations dollar-for-dollar.
Pfizer is also seeking to preserve access to healthcare essentials by activating its patient assistance program for Pfizer drugs and teaming up with donation partners to meet urgent medical supply needs, Pfizer’s chief executive, Albert Bourla, Ph.D., said in a post on X.
As of Sunday, Sept. 29, Baxter said it had committed $1.5 million in donations to its humanitarian aid partners to boost recovery needs in the aftermath of Helene. The company is also matching employee commitments 2:1.