In Rocky Mount, North Carolina, a tornado caused damage to a Pfizer pharmaceutical factory two days ago. Aerial images show the extent of the destruction. Despite this, Pfizer has reported that the drug manufacturing areas of the plant do not seem to have suffered major damage.
Sean Rayford | Getty Images
Pfizerr has announced that the drug manufacturing areas of its plant in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, have not been heavily affected by the tornado that struck two days ago. The plant plays a crucial role in supplying nearly 8% of all sterile injectable medicines used in U.S. hospitals, including anesthesia, analgesia, therapeutics, anti-infectives, and neuromuscular blockers. Additionally, it manufactures about 25% of Pfizer’s sterile injectables.
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According to an initial assessment by Pfizer, the tornado primarily damaged a warehouse facility where raw materials, packaging supplies, and finished medicines were stored, awaiting quality assurance. It remains uncertain whether this damage will lead to new drug shortages or exacerbate existing ones, which is a concern for health experts.
It is worth noting that the U.S. is already grappling with a shortage of various medicines, including ADHD pills, pain medicine, and injectable cancer therapies. These shortages are driven by issues in manufacturing quality control and surges in demand.
The Rocky Mount plant is currently closed as Pfizer, along with local and federal authorities, assess the extent of the damage. Fortunately, all 3,200 employees and contractors who were present at the plant were able to evacuate and reach storm shelters before the tornado struck.
Pfizer is taking immediate action to mitigate the impact of the damaged facility. They are relocating medicine products to nearby sites for storage and sourcing alternative manufacturing locations both in the U.S. and internationally through their own sites and partners. The company remains committed to swiftly restoring full functionality to the site, given its critical role in the U.S. healthcare system. It is one of Pfizer’s 10 manufacturing sites in the country.
Pfizer is also collaborating closely with Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Robert Califf, North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper, and other state, local, and federal officials to navigate this situation.
In a recent Twitter post, Commissioner Califf stated that the FDA is closely monitoring the situation.
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