GlaxoSmithKline PLC said it expected to reopen its manufacturing
plant in Zebulon, N.C., in the next 72 hours, after concluding that
Legionnaires' bacteria found in two external cooling towers posed
no risk to its products.
The pharmaceutical company shut down the plant Tuesday after
discovering the bacteria, which causes a potentially fatal form of
pneumonia, during a routine test. All staff on the site were sent
home and told to stay away while the company inspected the
towers.
"Given the location and level of bacteria found, this situation
posed no risk to the products manufactured inside the building," a
spokeswoman said. "We anticipate resuming production in the next 72
hours after cleaning, disinfecting, and returning the plant back to
normal operating conditions."
The cooling towers are separate structures from the buildings in
which staff work and products are made. Inhaled products including
the company's best-selling inhaler, Advair, are made at Glaxo's
Zebulon site.
Legionnaires' is contracted by inhaling water vapor contaminated
by the bacteria and isn't contagious, according to the U.S. Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention. The illness is fatal in
15%-to-20% of cases, according to the World Health
Organization.
Write to Denise Roland at Denise.Roland@wsj.com
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