Baxter resumes dialysis solution production at its hurricane-hit facility

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(Reuters) – Baxter International said on Thursday it has resumed production on all dialysis solution manufacturing lines at its North Carolina facility after they were impacted by hurricane-related flooding.

The company said it had restarted production of intravenous solutions on two lines in November, and added they were manufacturing 1-liter IV solution bags, the most commonly used size by hospitals and clinics, at 85% of their pre-hurricane capacity.

The North Cove facility in North Carolina was temporarily closed due to flooding caused by Hurricane Helene in late September. The plant makes 60% of the United States’ supply of IV fluids and peritoneal dialysis (PD) solutions, according to the American Hospital Association.

PD solution is a type of cleansing liquid that contains water, salt and other additives which help filter blood.

Previously, the company had asked doctors and healthcare professionals to limit new dialysis patients to those under 18 years as it worked to resolve supply issues.

The medical device maker added that while production on these lines has restarted, it would take some time to ramp up and produce at pre-hurricane levels.

(Reporting by Sneha S K; Editing by Shailesh Kuber and Krishna Chandra Eluri)