The announcement yesterday by biotech company Genzyme that it would temporarily halt production of two medicines after finding a virus in its plant is just the latest illustration of the challenge of producing medicines based on live cells. Biologic drugs, named because they are made from proteins engineered from living cells, can bring billions to the coffers of their makers. But, they are complicated to manufacture. Cells must be grown carefully in sanitary conditions, and production of the medicine may take hundreds of steps from start to finish. When production is threatened, medication shortages could occur, and last for weeks or months. Genzyme said the shutdown of its plant would last several weeks. It affect two of the company’s top-selling medicines, both of which are enzyme replacement therapies for

rare genetic disorders. Shutdowns like this can be costly. Genzyme says it expects shortages of one of its drugs beginning in August, and the second in September and October. Potential lost revenue could range from $100 million to $300 million, according to the WSJ . A number of drug makers have faced manufacturing glitches at times in producing biologically engineered products, such as Wyeth and its pediatric pneumococcal disease vaccine Prevnar years ago. Genzyme said another company was hit was the same virus 15 years ago, according to the WSJ. Correction: An earlier version of the post stated that Genzyme was hit by the same virus 15 years ago. Photo: Associated Press

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Genzyme Production Delay Shows Problems in Making Biologics