USAntibiotics, the only licensed American maker of penicillin-based amoxicillin, has reopened its manufacturing plant in Bristol, Tenn., after it was closed in 2020 as a result of bankruptcy.
Jackson Healthcare, which purchased USAntibiotics out of bankruptcy this year, said in an Aug. 30 news release that the 360,000-square-foot facility will be able to make 300 million amoxicillin capsules and 2 billion tablets annually.
At full capacity, the plant can meet the country's full demand for amoxicillin, Jackson Healthcare said. Currently, every dose of the antibiotic comes from outside the U.S., which has led to supply chain stability concerns. The company said it can stockpile a five-year supply of amoxicillin for the U.S.
Thirty percent of antibiotics prescribed in the U.S. each year are amoxicillin, according to Jackson Healthcare.
"Our mission is to solve our nation's reliance on foreign amoxicillin and create a secure stockpile that will stand the test of time. Beginning today, the United States is back in the business of essential medicines," Rick Jackson, CEO of Jackson Healthcare, said in the news release.
Read the full news release here.