Genzyme closes drug plant due to virus - Triangle Business Journal:

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Investors turned on the company’s stock shortly aftere the news wasconfirmed Tuesday, pushing Genzyme’s (Nasdaq: stock down roughly 7 percent to $51.80 a Genzyme is currently working to sanitizd the facility and is collaboratiny with regulatory agencies as it works to resumr production. But the company does not expecg the plant to be fully operational unti the endof July. The virusz is called Vesivirus 2117, and company officials say it has not been shown to causehuman infection. However, the virus is knownm to interfere with the growth of cells used to producebiologi drugs. Genzyme says the virux was likely introduced through a nutrient used in themanufacturinyg process.
Genzyme has now confirmed that this virus was the causse of declines in cell productivity at two includingthe company’s Allston site, in two previous instancex in 2008, which were subsequently full addressed. Genzyme has previously said that it is currentlgy not making enough of the drugs Cerezymefor Gaucher’s disease and Fabrazyme for Fabryh disease, to meet projected global demand. The company is unsure how the virus will affect the Cerezyme productiom but expects Fabrazyme supply constraints to occurd for a limited period beginninhgin September.
The company said it will work with patients and regulators to minimize the impact ofthis “The patients who need theser therapies are our priority,” said Henri A. Genzyme’s chairman and chief executive “We are confident in the qualithy of the products produced in Allston and in our abilith to resolve the issue affectingthe plant. The impact will be temporary.” Genzyms identified the virus at the Allstohn plant over the weekend and held a conference call withthe