LEE - Berkshire Sterile Manufacturing is helping produce possible treatments for COVID-19.

Shawn Kinney, CEO of Berkshire Sterile Manufacturing [BSM], said, "These drugs could potentially help provide some assistance to the people who get pneumonia in the later stages of COVID-19."

The Lee business is working with drug companies to produce three different potential treatments. Each drug works differently, but they're all designed to improve lung function and treat pneumonia-like symptoms.

Kinney said producing the drugs has become the company's top priority.

"Typically, for most customers, it takes three to six months to get into our manufacturing queue," Kinney said. "With these, we moved as quickly as possible, and actually got this first product filled this past Saturday after about a week and a half of work."

BSM will fill three more orders in the coming weeks. After leaving the factory, the drugs will be used in clinical trials in France and the United States.

Xufeng Sun, BSM's Director of Formulation, said, "Usually it takes six to eight weeks in the first stage, and depending on the results, it could go faster or go slower."

Vice President of Manufacturing, Tyler Rush, said time of of the essence in the race to find a treatment and their entire staff is working overtime to fill the orders as quickly as possible. 

Bush said, "The response that we've got for the company has been unbelievable. We've had volunteers from all departments come in and help. So although it is a strain, I think people are willingly giving what they can to get it done."