Like many others around the world, America’s biopharmaceutical companies stand with those affected by the coronavirus. And while biopharmaceutical companies are working around the clock to meet the demands of COVID-19 by developing and delivering therapeutics and vaccines, we recognize that the coronavirus crisis in India requires urgent attention and collaborative solutions from stakeholders globally.
The devastating COVID-19 surge in the country set daily records for its toll. As of early May, daily cases topped 400,000 – totaling more than 25 million Indians affected as of May 19th – including hundreds of thousands of deaths. As global innovators and manufacturers, we know the biopharmaceutical industry has a critical role to play. Here are some ways we are trying to alleviate the burden of COVID-19 in India:
- Providing financial support, matching employee dollars donated to non-profits dedicated to supporting COVID-19 relief and making in-kind donations to disaster relief organizations working to address the surge in India;
- Entering into licensing agreements with Indian partners to speed the manufacturing and distribution of medicines to patients;
- Providing technical support and building capacity with Indian manufacturers to increase supply of needed therapies;
- Supporting frontline workers through initiatives that provide mental health resources, as well as supplies like protective equipment and medical devices;
- Collaborating with global health authorities to get medicines where they are needed most, as well as help increase the ability for authorities to care for patients and curb the disease; and
- Continuing to assist employees in India – and across the world – who are experiencing financial hardship.
Beating this global health crisis requires ongoing perseverance, collaboration and innovation. And our work will continue until the pandemic is defeated worldwide.
To see PhRMA’s fact sheet on the efforts of our member companies to support India, please click here. And to get the latest updates and learn more about the biopharmaceutical industry’s work to beat COVID-19, please visit phrma.org/coronavirus.
Topics: Vaccines, Coronavirus