FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Germany's Fresenius said it is checking options to start new infusion-solution production lines faster than planned at a North Carolina facility to help mitigate potential shortages due to the impact of Hurricane Helene on rival Baxter's North Cove site in the same state.

"We are working with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Drug Shortage Staff, which is actively engaged with Baxter and other manufacturers" to assess whether and by how much capacity has to be increased, Fresenius said in a statement.

The Germany-based healthcare group said its generic hospital drugs unit Fresenius Kabi had recently started manufacturing IV solutions at a new facility in Wilson, North Carolina, and that it was checking options to start up further production lines faster than planned in the unaffected location.

Hurricane Helene slammed into the Florida Gulf coast in late September, tearing a destructive path through southeastern U.S. states, ripping up roads, tossing homes about and severing lines of communication. In its wake, hundreds of people were unaccounted for and many confirmed dead.

On September 29, medical device maker Baxter said its North Cove site had been affected by hurricane-related flooding and was closed for production. It said it was working with government to assess the damage and bring the plant back online as quickly as possible.