B. Braun said yesterday that it is investing $1 billion into new and enhanced IV therapy manufacturing facilities to help alleviate saline and other IV fluid shortages faced by healthcare providers in the U.S.
The investment, dubbed the ‘Solutions for Life’ initiative, includes a new manufacturing facility in Daytona Beach, Fla. and improvements to existing facilities in Irvine, Calif. and Allentown, Penn., Bethlehem, Penn.-based B. Braun said.
“As a family-owned medical device and pharmaceutical company, B. Braun believes in longevity, stability, and partnership. These core values drive our investments to help prevent future U.S. IV fluid shortages and our collaboration in working alongside policymakers, healthcare providers, and supply chain partners to deliver these life-saving fluids. Solutions for Life is our commitment to helping ensure consistent supply of vital saline solutions and other IV fluids that hospitals and health systems depend on to treat patients,” B. Braun CEO & chair Caroll Neubauer said in a press release.
Through the Solutions for Life initiative, B. Braun said that it aims to create additional supply and capacity of critical IV fluids and expand patient access by beefing up supply geographically from a new distribution center in Daytona Beach and improvements to facilities in Ontario, Canada and Breinigsville, Penn.
“As Governor of Florida, I was proud to announce B. Braun’s plan to create a new facility in Daytona Beach, which is expected to bring hundreds of new jobs to the community. I’d like to thank B. Braun for continuing to invest in our state and create opportunities for Florida families, as well as their efforts to provide quality healthcare to Americans,” Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) said in a prepared release.
“IV fluid shortages have the potential to cause serious complications for patients across the country, particularly in times of public health emergencies. B. Braun is making an important investment to address this concern by expanding production capacity and improving the ability to deliver IV fluids when and where they are needed,” Senator Pat Toomey (R-PA) said in prepared remarks.
The company said that it will also look to promote sustainability as the only supplier to offer a full line of IV solution products free from PVC and DEHP and through designing IV fluid bags to be land-fill neutral.
B. Braun added that it has received FDA approval for IV fluids from European facilities, in case needs arise for such a supply in the future.
“The IV fluid shortages in recent years significantly impacted us, especially nurses who experienced the personal heartache of telling patients and their caregivers that fluids were not available. We welcome these investments to expand IV fluid production and, just as important, the opportunity for stakeholders across the healthcare system to come together to explore additional steps to prevent future shortages,” Infusion Nurses Society RN Felicia Schaps said in a prepared statement.
