Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, PSRT companies have responded to the changing public health needs around the world. Some of these efforts are highlighted below:
AstraZeneca
AstraZeneca to supply Europe with up to 400 million doses of Oxford University’s vaccine at no profit
With Europe’s Inclusive Vaccines Alliance (IVA), AstraZeneca will supply up to 400 million doses of the University of Oxford’s COVID-19 vaccine, with deliveries starting by the end of 2020 to support access to the vaccine at no profit during the pandemic. This follows AstraZeneca’s agreements with the UK, US, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, Gavi the Vaccine Alliance and license agreement with the Serum Institute of India. Total manufacturing capacity currently now stands at two billion doses. To read more, please click here.
AstraZeneca is working in collaboration with Oxford University for the global development and distribution of a COVID-19 vaccine now in phase III trials. Clinical development of the potential vaccine aimed at preventing infection from SARS-CoV-2 is progressing globally and has expanded into Phase III clinical trials in the US. The vaccine is also in late-stage Phase II/III trials in the UK and Brazil, Phase I/II trials in South Africa and trials are planned in Japan and Russia. For more information, click here
AstraZeneca has donated 3 million surgical masks to Direct Relief to support the frontline response. This contribution will make a substantial difference in healthcare workers ability and confidence to address the needs of patients. The level one surgical masks will be distributed by Direct Relief to health facilities in areas with the most need, inclusive of underserved populations. A portion of the masks will also go towards emergency management agencies. To read more, click here.
Avrio Health
Avrio Health, subsidiary of Purdue Pharma L.P., has reported positive preliminary results of a laboratory study (in vitro) assessing Betadine® Antiseptic Sore Throat Gargle against SARS-CoV-2. Initial results show that the gargle killed 99.9% of the virus in 15 seconds. Next, the gargle will be tested in humans (in vivo) to assess safety and effectiveness. For more information, click here.
Becton, Dickinson and Company
BD Announces FDA Emergency Use Authorization for New COVID-19 test
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for a BD molecular diagnostic test for COVID-19 that can return results in two to three hours. The test provides additional testing capacity for COVID-19 in the United States and in countries that recognize the CE Mark to test patients and health care workers. To read more, please click here and here.
BD has launched a portable, rapid antigen test that can detect SARS-CoV-2 in 15 minutes. This new test will dramatically increase access to COVID-19 testing, especially in frontline healthcare settings. This is the company’s third diagnostic test to receive Emergency Use Authorization by U.S. FDA. BD has already begun shipping the new test and hopes to ramp-up manufacturing capacity to 2 million tests per week by the end of September. For more, click here.
Chemonics International
Chemonics has provided primary school aged children, barred from school due to lockdown measures, with safe education via the Manahel project. Within a week of the emergence of COVID-19, the existing project framework was adapted to facilitate digital and remote learning. The new e-curriculum provides normalcy and routine to young students during uncertain times. To read more about Manahel, click here.
Chevron
Chevron supports communities and nonprofits to address the COVID-19 crisis.
Chevron is enacting a series of social investment and support initiatives to help communities and nonprofits address the COVID-19 crisis. This includes donating funds and medical supplies, fuel discounts, contributions to educations programs, contributions to food banks, etc. To read more, please click here and here.
Chevron has donated $12+ million to support humanitarian efforts globally. The company is donating funds and medical supplies to support communities, essential workers, and education. For more information, click here and here.
Emergent BioSolutions
Emergent BioSolutions signs agreement to be U.S. manufacturing partner for AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine candidate
Emergent has struck an agreement with AstraZeneca to provide, develop and manufacture Oxford University’s vaccine candidate for the COVID-19 coronavirus. To read more, please click here.
Emergent, in partnership with Mount Sinai Health System, is conducting clinical trials to evaluate COVID-HIG as a post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP). COVID-HIG would be especially advantageous for frontline health workers who are at high risk of exposure. The availability of a PEP against COVID-19 would have measurable impacts on disease transmission and keep the most vulnerable populations safe. For more information, click here.
ExxonMobil
ExxonMobil modifies facilities to produce medical-grade sanitizer for COVID-19 response
ExxonMobil announced that is reconfiguring manufacturing operations to produce medical-grade hand sanitizer to be donated to health care providers and first responders across the United States. The target production is 160,000 gallons of sanitizer, enough for nearly 5 million bottles. To read more, please click here and here.
Exxon Mobil has made contributions around the globe to ensure health workers have access to personal protective equipment (PPE). The company has made donations to Texas Medical Center member hospitals to procure essential PPE like masks. The company has made similar contributions in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. For more information about these contributions, click here.
Henry Schein
Henry Schein Inc. launches COVID-19 Resource Center
Henry Schein Inc. has launched the COVID-19 Resource Center, a virtual hub that provides industry-specific information to help dental and medical practitioners navigate the professional and financial consequences of the COVID-19 outbreak.
Henry Schein has launched the COVID-19 Education Center to facilitate knowledge sharing among the medical community. The Education Center provides valuable information for medical professionals such as best practices for pivoting to telehealth and clinical decision support.
Johnson & Johnson
Johnson & Johnson is working to develop a vaccine for COVID-19 with the aim of delivering as soon as early 2021 Since the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, the company has been working closely with industry partners, governments, universities, and health authorities to develop a preventive vaccine against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. On the 23rd September, the vaccine candidate began Phase 3 trials in the US and is the first single-dose vaccine candidate to do so. Johnson & Johnson is also working with global partners to screen a library of molecules, including antivirals to identify potential treatments that could contribute to providing immediate relief to the evolving pandemic. For more information, read here.
Johnson & Johnson has committed $50 million to support healthcare workers on the frontlines of the response effort. J&J is funding the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent for medical relief in hot spot countries in Europe and has provided financial assistance to the American Nurses Association to support the mental health and well-being of nurses on the frontline. The company is also supporting Dimagi, a digital health solutions company, which is developing a contact tracing app to be used by global organizations such as UNICEF. J&J has joined with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and others to create the Pandemic Action Network which is designed to mobilize resources for relief efforts and learn from the current response. For more about these contributions, click here.
Masimo
Masimo released SafetyNet™, a remote patient management solution designed to aid COVID-19 response efforts and partners with Samsung to speed COVID-19 response efforts
Masimo announced the full market release of Masimo SafetyNet™, an innovative, economically scalable cloud-based patient management solution designed to help clinicians care for patients remotely in hospital settings and in non-traditional settings and circumstances. It is also partnering with Samsung Electronics America to make the Masimo SafetyNet™ Patient App available on select Samsung smartphones, pre-installed and pre-configured to allow for broader, faster distribution of Masimo SafetyNet to COVID-19 patients. To read more, please click here and here.
Masimo has provided innovative solutions to help address surge capacity and prevent clinical infection. The company’s suite of medical tools and response systems is enabling the transformation of non-clinical spaces into advanced care environments. These tools, like Replica™ and the use of Early Warning Scores, allow physicians to be informed of the needs and emergencies of patients in real time. Other tools, like Radius PPG™, allow for continuous, distanced monitoring of patients while minimizing risk of transmission. To read more about Masimo’s innovations, click here.
McCann Health
McCann Health leverages their strategic communications expertise to support regional risk communications activities
McCann Health is working with the Asian Development Bank (ADB), WHO’s South-East Asia and Western-Pacific regional offices and other regional partners to identify key communications needs through prioritized phases of the pandemic: emergency, transition, and recovery. McCann Health is also working in partnership with the ADB to develop an “ADB COVID-19 Communications Toolkit” which will include communication strategies, guidance, communications plans and key messaging to support member countries as they develop and disseminate information to the public and key stakeholders about COVID-19.
McCann Health has collated a collection of evidence-based resources to combat misinformation about COVID-19. The company notes the great potential for misinformation and half-truths that social media presents and hopes to combat this by providing periodic “booster shots” of science-based information. To access these articles, click here.
Merck & Co., Inc.
Merck is working in collaboration to develop and manufacture two different COVID-19 vaccines and an antiviral compound. Earlier this year Merck announced two COVID-19 vaccine development efforts – the first follows the acquisition of Themis Bioscience, a company focused on vaccines and immune-modulation therapies for infectious diseases, including COVID-19. This month the vaccine entered its early-stage Phase 1/2 trial and has started recruiting participants. The company is also collaborating with research non-profit IAVI to advance the development and global clinical evaluation of a second vaccine candidate that uses the same technology as Merck’s Ebola vaccine, ERVEBO. The candidate, designed and engineered by IAVI scientists, is in preclinical development and clinical studies are planned to start later in 2020. Finally, in collaboration with Ridgeback Biotherapeutics Merck is working to develop a novel antiviral candidate. For more information, read here and here
Merck has committed funds to address the health needs of underserved populations. The company’s $10 million commitment will go towards addressing the disproportionate impact COVID-19 is having on minority populations in the U.S. Merck is partnering with selected organizations to support vulnerable populations and patients with underlying health conditions. This commitment brings Merck’s total pledge for global, national, and local COVID-19 relief to $30 million, including $3 million to help health systems address the needs of pregnant women during the pandemic. For more on this commitment, click here.
Qlik
Qlik leverages their technological expertise to tackle the COVID-19 crisis
Amongst other efforts, Qlik is using data and analytics software to support organizations such as the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), Direct Relief, Asian Development Bank and others in their response to COVID. Particularly, is it collaborating with ECDC to power the center’s COVID-19 case tracking site and with Direct Relief to map the supply and demand of PPE and medical devices in the United States. To read more, please click here.
Qlik has innovated to facilitate a more rapid and efficient response to COVID-19. Qlik has partnered with Direct Relief to manage and track large amounts of COVID-19 data. Qlik’s innovative app allows Direct Relief to track key metrics such as rate of growth of cases and expansion and decline of testing. Qlik is also powering a hospital stock management app which allows users to monitor stockouts of PPE. For more information, click here and here.
Seqirus
Seqirus offers expertise and other resources to governments
Seqirus has formally offered to help governments around the world by lending its expertise, technologies, and facilities to help support rapid scaled development of coronavirus vaccines and treatments. To read more, please click here and here.
Seqirus parent company, CSL, has committed to supplying and manufacturing University of Queensland (UQ) and Oxford University vaccine candidates for Australia. CSL has made agreements with the Australian Government and AstraZeneca to supply 51 million doses of the UQ COVID-19 vaccine candidate and manufacture the Oxford candidate should clinical trials of both prove successful. To read more about these two agreements, click here.
Siemens Healthineers
Siemens Healthineers delivers test kit for Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2
Siemens Healthineers registered its molecular highly sensitive and specific Fast Track Diagnostics (FTD) SARS-CoV-2 Assay2 test kit for diagnostic use. This registration of the kit allows for immediate rollout of the testing kit for diagnostic use in Europe. To read more, please click here.
Siemens has leveraged their medical expertise to provide high level education and consulting service to medical professionals. Through their education and knowledge hub, PEPconnect, the company shares resources such as tutorials on best practices. Siemens also provides Rapid Activation Management Consulting Services to help healthcare providers address increased demand and patient influxes. For more, click here.
UPS Foundation
UPS Foundation provides funds and protective equipment for COVID-19 response
UPS has donated considerable funds and PPE to several initiatives. This includes a donation of $297,000 to non-profits in Louisville, Kentucky, who are supporting Coronavirus relief efforts and a donation of 10,000 N95 respirator masks to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta amongst other efforts. To read more, please click here and here.
The UPS Foundation has donated nearly $500,000 to midwestern non-profits to support critical operations. Some of the larger 39 recipients of the grants include University of Louisville (U of L), Dare to Care, and the Ronald McDonald House. The funding will go towards the continuation of operations and promising research into blocking the novel coronavirus from infecting human cells, in the case of U of L. Demand of services spiked for all grantees due to the pandemic. UPS was able to identify the immediate needs of these organizations and provide funds in order to yield the largest impact. For more information, click here.
(Updated September 24, 2020) |
