Merck To Solve TICE BCG Supply Bottleneck -- With New Plant Line, At Existing Property In North Carolina: H/T Erstwhile Commenter

Thanks to our long term Anon. commenter, we were alerted to the fact that Merck will dramatically increase capacity, to solve the long term "allocation" of this life saving medicine. [Our February 2019 backgrounder, on TICE stock-outs, at that link.]

Though nowhere mentioned by the company, based on my experiences in the field, I would guess we are about 24 months from seeing new capacity come online yet -- as a full FDA start up site inspection will be required to get the new plant approved for manufacture. So it goes -- but it does hold the possibility of no more "on allocation" notices, at some point in 2023. Here's FiercePharma on it all:

. . . .During its years as sole producer of a difficult-to-make cancer med in high demand, Merck & Co.'s limited capacity has hamstrung its efforts to get the drug into patients' hands. Now, Merck is putting its money where its mouth is in a big boost to its production capacity.

Merck & Co. will build a new manufacturing facility in North Carolina to triple production of bladder cancer therapy TICE BCG, a freeze-dried medicine administered by catheter that has been plagued by supply issues for years, the drugmaker said Thursday.

The new plant at Merck's existing Maurice R. Hilleman Center for Vaccine Manufacturing in Durham, North Carolina, will create about 100 local jobs. . . .

Now you know. Onward, grinning -- ever. . . grinning.

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