The global research-based pharmaceutical industry represented by the IFPMA is providing significant funds to relief organisations following the major earthquake that struck Japan on 11 March 2011. The total cash value of assistance provided so far by IFPMA member companies already amounts to over USD 40 million, and several companies have also donated medicines and other medical supplies. At this stage, the majority of the donations by the research-based pharmaceutical industry are in cash, as this form of aid is the most helpful according to NGO partners specialized in disaster relief.
Mr Eduardo Pisani, Director General of the IFPMA said: “IFPMA and its member companies have close links with Japan and we are deeply aware of the suffering and anguish of the Japanese people caused by the death and destruction in the wake of Japan’s massive earthquake and tsunami. I would like to extend the deepest sympathies of the IFPMA and its members to all the people affected, many of whom have lost everything.”
“Countless Japanese people are facing the daunting task of rebuilding their lives and cities, tragically many without their loved ones. In addition they are dealing with the immediate challenges of homelessness, hunger, contamination of drinking water with potentially life-threatening infectious diseases, and coping with possible psychological health problems. Our member companies understand these threats and the difficulty of responding to them for the Japanese government and aid organisations.”
Companies and their related philanthropic foundations which have reported making donations so far include: Abbott, Amgen, Astellas, AstraZeneca, Bayer Group, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol- Myers Squibb, Daiichi Sankyo, Eisai, GlaxoSmithKline, Johnson & Johnson, Lilly, Merck & Co., Inc., Novartis, Pfizer, Roche Group, sanofi-aventis and Takeda.
To ensure that the assistance provided is appropriate and coordinated, companies are using long established partnerships with expert medical and disaster relief organizations. These include the Red Cross (via various national Red Cross Associations, in particular the Japanese Red Cross) and Save the Children, as well as, AmeriCares, Direct Relief International, and the International Medical Corps.
Geneva, 22 March 2011
