Baxter announces updated IV solutions production timeline

Baxter expects to restart a second IV solutions manufacturing line within the next week, the company announced Nov. 7. Along with the first line that resumed production last week the two lines comprise approximately 50% of the North Cove, N.C., site's total pre-Hurricane Helene production of IV solutions and about 85% of one-liter solutions production. Hospitals in clinics most commonly use the one-liter solutions. The earliest the facility could begin shipments is late this month.

The company said they expect their peritoneal dialysis and irrigation solutions lines to be the next to resume production and would begin by early December. Baxter expects all lines to restart by the end of the year, but does not have a timeline on when total production will return to pre-hurricane levels. The company also said today that it has evaluated and approved more than 200 allocation exception requests to support the neonatal and pediatric patient needs.

In addition, Baxter announced that a second temporary bridge has been installed at the plant and is in use. The bridge will allow traffic for additional trucks and equipment. The first bridge is so far has allowed transport of more than 1,000 truckloads of products, Baxter said. Prior to the hurricane, the plant had manufactured approximately 60% - or 1.5 million bags or 95 truckloads - of IV solution used every day in the U.S.