American pharmaceutical companies contribute to Katrina relief fund
American pharmaceutical research companies are continuing to send 'disaster aid packages' to public and private relief organisations to stem the potential public health crisis in the Gulf Coast region of the US in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
American pharmaceutical research companies are continuing to send 'disaster aid packages' to public and private relief organisations to stem the potential public health crisis in the Gulf Coast region of the US in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
Nearly US$25m in medicines, medical supplies and cash has so far been committed to relief efforts, and many of PhRMA's (The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America) member companies, including Bayer, Johnson & Johnson, GSK and Schering Plough (who has also contributed 100,000 units of COPPERTONE sunscreen in response to a request from the American Red Cross), have agreed to match employee contributions to the relief fund on a dollar-for-dollar basis, sending the funds 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.
Other contributing companies include Abbot, Amgen, Amlyn, AstraZeneca, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Boehringer Ingelheim, Eli Lilly, Genzyme, Merck, Novartis, Organon, Otsuka, Pfizer, Procter & Gamble, Purdue Pharma, Roche, Sanofi-Aventis, Sepracor and Wyeth.