Neptune will being making hand sanitizer at a facility in Conover, NC after receiving accelerated approval as an OTC drug manufacturer. The approval to make alcohol-based hand saniziter is part of the US Food and Drug Adminstartion’s temporary rapid response policy to address the coronoavirus crisis.
Neptune said registration of the Conover facility with FDA enables the company to begin manufacturing alcohol-based hand sanitizers to help address the increased demand for these products by consumers and health care professionals. This announcement follows the recent announcement that the Company received Health Canada authorization to commercialize natural, plant-based hand sanitizer products. The Company anticipates its first shipments of hand sanitizers over the next several weeks with production volume ramping up into summer 2020.
Transition into CBD extraction
Neptune, based in Laval, QC, acquired the North Carolina facility last year as part of its transition into a CBD extraction company. Neptune had a history in the omega-3s sector as the initial pioneer of krill oil as a dietary ingredient. The company sold that business to Norwegian competitor Aker BioMarine in 2017. Neptune still operates its original extraction facility in Sherbrooke, ON as well.
"We are very pleased to have fast tracked our registration with FDA and are committed to supporting our fellow citizens across North America," said Michael Cammarata, Neptune CEO. "We have already received strong interest from retailers and have worked with our partners to successfully secure initial raw material supplies. We anticipate initial shipments over the next several weeks and intend to fully ramp up production over the coming months. Our hand sanitizers are leveraging our experience and ongoing development of plant-based household products, allowing us to quickly address this growing consumer need with a premium quality solution.”
Neptune joins a host of beverage companies in rising to meet the sudden huge demand for hand sanitizers. A group called the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States has set up a portal for companies interested in joining the push to meet this demand.
