America's Pharmaceutical Companies Increase Relief Efforts; Nearly $25 Million in Medicines, Cash Donated So Far
WASHINGTON, Sept. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- America's pharmaceutical research companies continue to send comprehensive disaster aid packages to public and private relief organizations to help lessen the suffering of survivors and to stem a looming public health crisis in the Gulf Coast region following Hurricane Katrina.
As of this afternoon, nearly $25 million in medicines, medical supplies and cash has been committed to relief efforts and that number is growing by the hour. In addition, this total does not include the commitment by many of PhRMA's member companies to "match" contributions from employees which continue to be sent in to charities supporting relief efforts. "America's pharmaceutical research companies will continue to provide medicines and money to help struggling, homeless people in the Gulf Coast as they did in the wake of the Asian tsunami. This disaster is unprecedented in American history and must be met with a firm, long-term commitment to help rebuild the lives of those who are facing unimaginable challenges," said Billy Tauzin, President and CEO of PhRMA, who represented parts of the hurricane- ravaged Gulf Coast for 25 years as a member of Congress.
The following is a summary of company contributions to date:
ABBOTT
-- Pledged $2 million in cash donations.
-- Working with relief agencies to provide at least $2 million in nutritional and medical product donations.
AMGEN
-- Initial cash donation of $2.5 million and establishing a company-wide Hurricane Katrina Relief Program in support of humanitarian aid, with a special focus on access to health care.
-- The Amgen Foundation will match all staff contributions via their relief site.
-- Working to ensure uninterrupted distribution of products to suppliers, physicians and most importantly, patients in the impacted areas.
AMYLIN
-- Donated $100,000 to the American Red Cross and will match all employee contributions up to an additional $100,000.
-- Also donating $50,000 to the Pennington Medical Center at the Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge for the establishment of an emergency diabetes clinic to serve individuals who are now homeless or unable to access proper care and medications.
ASTELLAS
-- Donating $50,000 to American Red Cross.
-- Company will match employee contributions up to $50,000 to American Red Cross.
-- Evaluating what antibiotics should be delivered to relief areas.
ASTRAZENECA
-- Initial cash donation of $1 million to the American Red Cross.
-- Will match AZ employee donations to the American Red Cross dollar-for- dollar.
-- Will make product donations to national and local disaster relief organizations providing aid to hurricane affected areas along with free medicines to patients and clinics through AZ Patient Assistance Programs.
BAYER
-- Initially committing $2 million in cash and product donations. Will provide additional financial and other types of assistance.
-- Will match Bayer employee donations dollar-for-dollar, which will then be donated to the American Red Cross.
BMS
-- Initial donation of $1 million in cash to the Red Cross.
-- Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation will match all BMS U.S. employee donations to the American Red Cross.
-- Mead Johnson Nutritionals is currently shipping infant formula to the federal government and is working with the American Red Cross to coordinate the shipment of additional products.
-- Working with company's relief agency partners to arrange the donation and distribution of Bristol-Myers Squibb medicines.
BOEHRINGER INGELHEIM
-- Donating up to $600,000 in cash and additional product donations as needed.
CEPHALON
-- Matching employee donations to hurricane relief organizations.
ELI LILLY
-- Donating $1 Million to American Red Cross.
-- Donating $1 million in insulin products, working through Heart to Heart and the American Red Cross.
-- Plans to send 40,000 vials of refrigerated insulin.
-- Will match dollar-for-dollar employee contributions to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund.
GENZYME
-- Will make product donations.
-- Matching employee contribution program.
GLAXOSMITHKLINE
-- Immediate cash donations totaling $1 million to American Red Cross, Mississippi Hurricane Fund and Louisiana Disaster Recovery Foundation.
-- Matching employee contributions.
-- Donating medicines and health products as needed.
JOHNSON & JOHNSON
-- Working closely with disaster relief organizations to meet the immediate needs for personal care and medical products and determine ongoing requirements.
-- As an initial response, the company donated approximately $250,000 worth of essential disaster relief products including 2,000 personal care kits and two Disaster Relief Modules to MAP International that include non- prescription pain relievers and wound care products.
-- Matching employee and retiree donations to the American Red Cross. Donations will be matched dollar-for-dollar.
MERCK
-- Immediate cash donation of $1 million from The Merck Company Foundation to the American Red Cross to support relief efforts.
-- Working closely with affected states and relief agencies to donate requested Merck medicines and vaccines, including such medicines as Hepatitis A vaccine (usually needed in flood situations) and antibiotics. Also, replacement of prescription medicines for victims, hospitals and clinics that lost medicines in the flood.
-- Ensuring that areas impacted are aware of the Merck Patient Assistance Program, which provides donated medicines free for eligible Americans.
-- 100% match (by The Merck Company Foundation) of employee donations to qualified relief agencies engaged in disaster relief efforts.
MILLENNIUM
-- Employees will have the opportunity to provide support to those impacted by Hurricane Katrina through payroll deductions. Donations will be sent to both AmeriCares and the American Red Cross.
NOVARTIS
-- Cash and product donations from Novartis Group companies within the US (Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation, Gerber, Sandoz, Novartis Nutrition, Novartis Animal Health and Novartis OTC).
-- Working with local government officials and third party organizations to ship products (AmeriCares, American Red Cross).
-- Novartis Hurricane Katrina Relief Employee Matching Gift Program.
ORGANON
-- Will make cash donation.
-- Matching employee donations.
-- Independently raising money for relief efforts.
OTSUKA
-- Cash donation of $3,000 to Red Cross.
-- Will make additional assistance to hurricane victims in the area.
PFIZER
-- Donating $1 million for rebuilding hospital and healthcare centers.
-- Donating $1 million for relief organizations: the American Red Cross, Salvation Army and the United Way of America.
-- Donation of medicines, consumer and animal health products.
PROCTER & GAMBLE
-- Initially donating $700,000 in combined cash and products.
-- Continuing to work with the American Red Cross to assess additional needs.
-- Encouraging employees to contribute to the American Red Cross.
PURDUE PHARMA
-- Will match donations made by employees to the American Red Cross and AmeriCares, up to $50,000.
-- Working with AmeriCares to provide medications such as antibiotics and antiseptics.
ROCHE
-- Matching Employee Donations to American Red Cross.
-- Evaluating needs for product re-supply, product donations, and potential needs for health care system rebuilding in the devastated areas.
-- Working with the American Red Cross and other relief organizations on the ground to see how Roche capabilities and expertise can support their efforts.
SANOFI-AVENTIS
-- Matching employee donations.
-- Securing medicines such as injectable diabetes medicine and antibiotics to donate to the relief effort.
-- Additional cash donations, targeted relief aid in process.
-- Helping employees who have been affected by the storm.
SCHERING-PLOUGH
-- Initial product donation of $2,000,000.
-- $500,000 cash donation.
-- Company employee match program.
SEPRACOR
-- Offering a matching gift program.
SERONO
-- Offering a matching gift program.
-- Assisting employees who have been impacted in the regions of the hurricane.
-- Assessing needs of victims and donating products as necessary.
SOLVAY
-- Offering a matching gift program.
3M
-- Authorized $500,000 in employee matching gifts.
-- $1,000,000 in safety, medical and cleaning products (already shipped over 75,000 respirators).
VALEANT
-- Match employee donations.
-- Donate appropriate medicines to relief efforts.
-- Provide support for any affected employees.
-- Allow time off for employees that want to provide assistance.
WYETH
-- Donating $1 million, which will be distributed to several organizations including the American Red Cross and the Children's Health Fund.
-- Matching employee donations to the American Red Cross.
-- Donating needed pharmaceutical products to relief efforts.
PhRMA
-- Matching all employee donations.
The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) represents the country's leading pharmaceutical research and biotechnology companies, which are devoted to inventing medicines that allow patients to live longer, healthier, and more productive lives. PhRMA members alone invested an estimated $38.8 billion in 2004 in discovering and developing new medicines. PhRMA companies are leading the way in the search for new cures.
PhRMA Internet Address: http://www.phrma.org/
For information on how innovative medicines save lives, visit: http://www.innovation.org/
For information on the Partnership for Prescription Assistance, visit: http://www.pparx.org/
For information on the danger of imported drugs, visit: http://www.buysafedrugs.info/
Source: Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America
CONTACT: Jeff Trewhitt, +1-202-835-3460, for Pharmaceutical Research and
Manufacturers of America
Web site: http://www.phrma.org/
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