Baxter announced a significant milestone in its recovery efforts at the North Cove, North Carolina, manufacturing facility, which was severely impacted by Hurricane Helene.

The company has successfully restarted a second IV solutions production line, following the relaunch of the first line in late October, the company announced in a Nov. 14 update. Together, these lines now represent 50% of the site’s pre-hurricane production capacity and 85% of its one-liter IV solution output – critical supplies for ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs). 

Baxter also has released the first product – 1-liter IV solutions – that was manufactured in the wake of Hurricane Helene, according to the company’s Nov. 21 update. 

The shortage caused by the damage to the facility led many ASC operators to rethink their supply chain relationships.

“That single manufacturing plant is responsible for producing about 60% of all IV solutions for the entire United States,” Bill Prentice, CEO of the Ambulatory Surgery Center Association (ASCA), said on an audio update. “Now many are, no doubt, questioning the wisdom of having a single manufacturing facility responsible for so much of an essential medical necessity.”

The facility’s full operations are expected to resume by the end of 2024, barring unforeseen delays, Baxter said in an update on its website. Additionally, the company plans to restart production lines for peritoneal dialysis (PD) solutions and irrigation products in early December.

Conservation efforts across the healthcare system, combined with temporary importation of FDA-approved products and allocation strategies, have helped mitigate disruptions, the company said. The company  expects allocation levels for several IV products to reach 100% by year-end.

Baxter is planning to communicate on Nov. 25 about the next allocation increases to U.S. customers.