Baxter International began shipments of intravenous products to the United States from two international facilities last week, it said on Monday, as it works to bring a hurricane-hit plant in North Carolina back online amid a shortage of the essential medical product.
The medical device maker also received the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s clearance on October 9 to temporarily import products from five facilities in Canada, China, Ireland, and the UK, and was working to secure authorization for more sites amid a nationwide shortage following flooding of the plant by Hurricane Helene late last month.
On Monday, Baxter said its current priority is deep cleaning the facility and assessing the status of all equipment and production lines.
The Marion, North Carolina, site makes 60% of the nation’s supply of IV fluids and peritoneal dialysis solutions, amounting to 1.5 million bags daily, according to the American Hospital Association.
A shortage of IV fluids, which provide nutrients to the body or replenish fluids lost due to injury or illness, has forced hospitals to curtail elective procedures.
While the flooding has disrupted the production of peritoneal dialysis solutions, the company said it is actively delivering supplies to patients.
“We do not yet have a timeline for when we expect production to be fully restored to pre-hurricane levels,” the company said, while urging conservation of both IV and peritoneal dialysis solutions.
The company last week said it plans to restart its plant in phases and aims to meet 90% to 100% of customer needs by the end of the year. [source]