WASHINGTON, Jan. 20 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- As the need for health care assistance mounts in Haiti after last week's catastrophic earthquake, America's pharmaceutical research and biotechnology companies continue to provide help.  So far, more than $20 million in medicines, medical supplies and cash have been committed to relief efforts -- and that amount is still growing.  The total does not include the contributions of PhRMA member company employees and the many companies committed to matching the pledges of their workers.

PhRMA companies making donations include: Abbott, Amgen Inc., Astellas Pharma US, Inc., AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP, Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Daiichi Sankyo, Inc., Eisai Inc., GlaxoSmithKline, Inspire Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Johnson & Johnson, Eli Lilly and Company, Merck & Co., Inc., Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation, Novo Nordisk Inc., Otsuka America, Inc., Pfizer Inc, sanofi-aventis U.S. and Takeda Pharmaceuticals North America, Inc.

PhRMA President and CEO Billy Tauzin said: "The day the news broke about the tragedy in Haiti, America's biopharmaceutical companies got to work -- coordinating efforts with relief organizations and health care groups already on the ground -- making sure everything from simple antibiotic creams to critical medicines were made accessible to victims. And the more the need for medicinal aid is defined, the more our companies are providing it."

Some of the medical and disaster relief organizations that PhRMA companies are coordinating with in Haiti include the World Health Organization, UNICEF and the Red Cross (via various national associations), as well as AmeriCares, Catholic Medical Mission Board, Direct Relief International, MAP International, Partners in Health, Project HOPE, Save the Children and World Vision.

PhRMA is also involved in the Haitian effort through the Rx Response program.  This program, which was developed following Hurricane Katrina, has shed light on the most effective methods to donate medical products and the most efficient ways medical professionals can volunteer for the Haiti response effort.

"The vital role of PhRMA companies and their employees in the global community is clearly defined by such catastrophic situations.  It's our civic responsibility to provide health care professionals the tools they need to help save lives, and we're proud to take part in this effort, which will lead to the eventual recovery of Haiti," Tauzin said.

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 companies are leading the way in the search for new cures. PhRMA members alone invested an estimated $50.3 billion in 2008 in discovering and developing new medicines. Industry-wide research and investment reached a record $65.2 billion in 2008.

PhRMA Internet Address: http://www.phrma.org

For information on stories of hope and survival, visit: http://sharingmiracles.com/

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 more information on public health emergencies, visit http://www.rxresponse.org

For information on the danger of imported drugs, visit: http://www.buysafedrugs.info

SOURCE Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America

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