Monsanto Co. said Monday it is beginning in-house production of Posilac, which should ease a two-year-old shortage of the hormone used to boost milk production in cows.
The Creve Coeur company received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to begin formulating and packaging Posilac bovine somatotropin at its plant in Augusta, Ga.
Since 2003, the facility has manufactured the Posilac active ingredient and shipped it for final production to Sandoz GmbH, an Austrian subsidiary of Novartis AG.
Monsanto has been rationing Posilac since December 2003, when Sandoz, its lone supplier, had quality control issues. Sandoz again is producing Posilac, but the quantity is limited pending FDA approval of certain improvements made to the plant, said Monsanto spokesman Andrew Burchett. Advertisement Posilac has been controver?sial, with critics saying it poses a threat to human health and is unnecessary in an industry with adequate supplies. Organic milk products are often labeled as free of the growth hormone.
Yet, demand is strong. Select dairy producers are able to buy 115 percent of the quantity they received before rationing began, but others are on a waiting list, Burchett said.
Monsanto does not release Posilac market data, but recently said it sells more than 33 million doses a year. The Augusta plant employs more than 200 people, and is the world's largest pharmaceutical-grade protein manufacturing facility, according to the
company.
Monsanto's shares lost 43 cents in trading Monday to close at $84.57
