Drug Industry
A Tide of Giving
(Enny Nuraheni - Reuters)
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Hurricane Katrina has prompted a spate of giving in an industry often criticized for taking. The drug makers listed below are among the biggest disaster-relief donors. In parentheses is each company's global ranking, 2004 drug sales, according to market analyst IMS Health, and a well-known product. Donation details come from the trade group Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America.
· Pfizer (1, $50.9 billion; Viagra) Donating $2 million in cash, plus medicines for high cholesterol, diabetes, hypertension, HIV/AIDS and infections.
· GlaxoSmithKline (2, $32.7 billion; Paxil) Donating $1 million in cash and about $3 million in antibiotics and other medicines. Will match employee contributions.
· Johnson & Johnson (4, $24.6 billion; Tylenol) Initial donation of $5 million in cash and more than $1 million worth of products including nonprescription pain relievers, wound care products, medicines and surgical products. Matching employee and retiree donations.
· Merck (5, $23.9 billion; Vioxx) Cash donation of $1 million plus donation of such medicines as Hepatitis A vaccine and antibiotics. Matching employee donations.
· AstraZeneca (7, $21.6 billion; Crestor) Initial $1 million cash donation. Will match company employee donations. Plans to donate products including medicines to patients and clinics.
· Bristol-Myers Squibb (9, $15.5 billion; Glucophage) Donating $1.1 million in cash. BMS Foundation will match employee donations. Subsidiaries have provided more than $3.5 million worth of drugs and other items.
· Wyeth (10, $14.2 billion; Premarin) Donating $1 million in cash and an unspecified amount in medicines. Matching employee donations.
· Abbott (11, $14.2 billion; Merida) Pledged $2 million in cash and an initial $3.5 million in product donations.
· Amgen (13, $10.6 billion; Enbrel) Initial cash donation of $2.5 million. The Amgen Foundation will match all staff contributions.
· Schering-Plough (16, $6.9 billion; Claritin) Initial donation of $500,000 in cash and $2 million in products. Matching employee gifts.
· Bayer (17, $6.3 billion; Cipro) Cash and product donations of close to $4 million. Plans to ship more than 45,000 blood glucose monitors and diabetes test strips. Will match employee donations.
-- Susan Morse
