MARION, N.C. — A western North Carolina plant that is the largest manufacturer of intravenous and peritoneal dialysis solutions in the United States has restarted a key manufacturing line more than a month after Helene tore through the area as a hurricane.
Baxter International announced Thursday it restarted the line that is responsible for the North Cove plant's highest throughput of IV solutions. This specific line is responsible for roughly a quarter of the plant's total production and about half of its production of one-liter IV solutions, which are most commonly used by hospitals and clinics.
The company notes initial batches will ship in late November at the earliest and are being made concurrently with ongoing quality activities and will only be released in accordance with regulatory requirements to ensure the IV solutions are safe. However, that expected ship date range is ahead of Baxter's original expectations and the company said it was able to accelerate recovery with the coordination of federal agencies.
Baxter's other equipment lines are also being assessed and repaired while also being tested. The company said this will help support resuming normal operations in phases.
The company still does not have a timeline for when the plant's production will be fully restored to pre-Helene levels.
Baxter was forced to close its plant on Sept. 29 because of the rain and flooding wrought by the hurricane. A levee breach was triggered nearby and bridges leading to the plant were heavily damaged. Regular updates about the plant's status have been promising given that Baxter supplies about 60% of the United States' IV bags. Baxter's shutdown had hospitals and clinics nationwide on edge -- healthcare company Premier estimated at one point that 86% of health providers faced IV fluid shortages, with smaller hospitals likely to report getting 0% of ordered fluids.
A temporary access road to the plant was established in early October, enabling deliveries and repairs to resume.
Baxter CEO José E. Almeida swore to spare no resource -- human or financial -- to resume production.
North Cove is located in McDowell County, about 108 miles northwest of Charlotte.