Pfizer’s Rocky Mount Facility Restarts Production: First Step Towards Full Recovery After Tornado
October 2, 2023
After a destructive tornado swept through Rocky Mount, North Carolina, on July 19th, causing severe damage to Pfizer’s manufacturing facility for sterile injectables, company officials sprang into action. Crews worked tirelessly in the aftermath to restore power, assess the damage, and secure finished medicines at safe storage sites. Today, Pfizer has made great strides towards a rapid recovery for production and restoration of the Rocky Mount site and the surrounding community.
In late September, the company restarted the majority of its manufacturing lines at this facility, including the launch of one line in the site’s new sterile injectable manufacturing area referred to as R3, a state-of-the-art module approved earlier this year by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The restart prioritized medicines based on patient need and inventory levels, as the first step toward full recovery for the plant. Pfizer anticipates the first shipments of these medicines to distribution centers in the fourth quarter of 2023 with full production across the site’s three manufacturing suites anticipated by the end of 2023.
This expedited restart is not only a proud achievement for the Rocky Mount team but is also a testament to Pfizer’s swift efforts to help manage the continuity of supply and mitigate supply interruptions for patients.
A Critical Role in U.S. Healthcare
The Rocky Mount facility, operational since 1968, plays a critical role in the U.S. healthcare system as a major producer of sterile injectables. Home to over 3,200 skilled professionals, the facility produces nearly 25 percent of Pfizer’s sterile injectables, including anesthesia, analgesia, and micronutrients, which represents approximately 8 percent of all the sterile injectables used in U.S. hospitals. It ships over 200 million units annually to help patients nationwide.
The Strength of the Human Spirit
“Clearly nature is strong. So too is ingenuity and the human spirit. A great deal of work needs to be done, but I assure everyone, most importantly the people of the Rocky Mount community, that we will put Pfizer’s full power behind this effort,” said Pfizer’s Chairman and CEO Dr. Albert Bourla when the company first announced its post-tornado relief plans. “We will work in lockstep with our partners and local authorities to restore and rebuild the site and the community.”
In addition to internal recovery efforts, Pfizer extended its support to the Rocky Mount community, with whom the company has worked in close partnership for decades. Pfizer and the Pfizer Foundation[1] contributed financial support towards local natural disaster relief efforts. A donation was also made to the American Red Cross North Carolina Chapter and United Way Tar River Region, while the Pfizer Foundation matched employee donations to these organizations.
Pfizer’s commitment to delivering sterile injectables to healthcare providers across the country remains unwavering, given the importance of these products for patients. The company continues to use all available resources and partnerships to help ensure it continues serving as a reliable healthcare partner, even in challenging times.
[1] The Pfizer Foundation is a charitable organization established by Pfizer Inc. It is a separate legal entity from Pfizer Inc. with distinct legal restrictions.
Forward-looking statements included herein are subject to substantial risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements. We encourage you to read our reports filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including the sections captioned “Risk Factors” and “Forward Looking Information and Factors that May Affect Future Results,” for a description of such substantial risks and uncertainties. These reports are available at pfizer.com and the SEC’s website.