By mid-November, Baxter expects its North Cove facility in Marion, N.C., to reach about 50% of the site's total production prior to Hurricane Helene-related flooding, according to a Nov. 7 update.
After flooding temporarily closed the site in late September, widespread shortages ensued because the facility was the nation's main supplier of intravenous and periodontal fluids. The destruction also caused Baxter to adjust its full year 2024 outlook, which now includes a loss of $200 million, the company reported Nov. 8.
By Oct. 31, Baxter restarted the facility's highest-throughput manufacturing line. The resumption restored 25% of total production and about 50% of 1-liter units of IV solution, the most common size used by hospitals and clinics.
The second line will increase 1-liter IV unit production to 85%, Baxter said.
The drugmaker's PD solutions and irrigation manufacturing lines are expected to restart by early December. Baxter predicts a return to 90% to 100% allocation of select IV products by the end of 2024, but the company said it cannot forecast a timeline for complete restoration.
Learn 20 tips for hospital teams working to mitigate the shortage, here.