Tackling TB in a covid-19 world

Becton Dickinson

BD is supporting the global response against COVID-19 by deploying its capabilities, expertise and scale to address critical health needs – from its diagnostic offerings to identify COVID-19, to real-time informatics and electronic surveillance technology, to essential medical devices to support patient care. Specifically, BD:

• Announced multiple new products to help aid in the detection and identification of COVID-19, including a molecular test for the detection of COVID-19 for clinical laboratories in countries recognizing the CE mark.

• Received CE mark and Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) from the FDA for an additional molecular diagnostics test for COVID-19 that can return results in two to three hours, helping to increase the availability of tests around the world.

• Partnered with BioGX to launch a new diagnostic test that will enable hospitals to screen for COVID-19 on site and get results in under three hours.

• Partnered with BioMedomics to announce the release of a new point-of-care test that can detect antibodies in blood to help identify recent and later stage SARS-CoV-2 infections in as little as 15 minutes.

• Collaborating with peers from across the industry, HHS, FDA and private partners to identify and validate additional swab types as well as transport medium options in order to expand capacity and alternative collection methods.

Cepheid

Cepheid responded immediately to the pandemic by developing a diagnostic test for Covid-19, and by offering a compassionate price for high burden developing countries (HBDC) countries. The test leverages the design principles of Cepheid’s current Xpert® Xpress Flu/RSV cartridge technology, in which multiple regions of the viral genome are targeted. The test can provide rapid detection of the current pandemic coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 in as soon as 30 minutes for positive results* with less than a minute of hands-on time to prepare the sample. A further price reduction of the compassionate price should be attained with increased manufacturing efficiencies and communicated in the coming weeks.

Delft Imaging

Delft Imaging is using its imaging solutions and artificial intelligence (AI) to fight against COVID-19. Delft Imaging has developed CAD4COVID (Computer-Aided Detection for COVID-19), an AI software that triages COVID-19 suspects on chest X-ray images and it is available FREE-OF-CHARGE. CAD4COVID is developed to support triaging COVID-19 suspects and help determine the next step in patient care, particularly in resource-constrained settings and high prevalence areas. CAD4COVID is granted Class II Certification, and it is the first AI software that has scientifically proven to perform at the same level as human expert readers to detect COVID-19 related abnormalities on chest X-ray images. CAD4COVID uses the same technical core of Delft Imaging’s existing and proven software CAD4TB (Computer-Aided Detection for Tuberculosis), which uses AI to detect TB-related abnormalities on chest X-rays. CAD4COVID is used in multiple countries in Africa, Asia Pacific, Europe, Latin America, and Middle East. Additionally, leveraging Delft Imaging’s existing solutions and expertise, the company also developed a CAD4COVID-CT solution, for COVID-19 triage on CT scans.

QIAGEN

 QIAGEN also offers a range of diagnostic solutions in the fight against COVID-19:

• On 31st March 2020, QIAGEN received U.S. FDA emergency use authorization (EUA) for QIAstat-Dx test kit, the first and only syndromic solution integrating detection of SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. The test can differentiate novel coronavirus from 20 other serious respiratory infections and can deliver results in about one hour.

• In February 2019, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) released a recommended protocol for a real-time PCR (RT-PCR) test for detection of SARS-CoV-2. Listed in these recommendations are a number of QIAGEN products for sample preparation and PCR, including QIAGEN’s EZ1 DSP Virus kits which run on EZ1 Advanced workstations, and QIAamp DSP Viral RNA Mini kits, which can be automated on QIAcube instruments.

• The QIAsymphony modular system provides complete automation of sample preparation and PCR analysis. QIAGEN is working on enabling customers to use this system for lab-developed RT-PCR tests.

To support the efforts of clinical microbiology and public health laboratories involved in SARS-CoV-2 sequencing, QIAGEN is offering free temporary licenses for QIAGEN Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA) and QIAGEN CLC Genomics ProSuite. Additionally, QIAGEN’s data scientists have expanded upon recent peer-reviewed research to generate relevant SARS-CoV-2 protein networks. This freely available Coronavirus Network Explorer helps visualize how SARS-CoV-2 proteins interact with human host proteins to disable protective responses and pathways and explore hypotheses around ways to fight coronavirus.

QuantumMDx

QuantumMDx stepped up to develop a SARS-CoV-2 Detection RT-PCR Testing Kit for rapid detection of SARS-CoV-2. QuantuMDx’ SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR Detection assay is a real-time reverse transcriptase (rtRT)-PCR assay that has been developed using advanced bioinformatics to maximize performance. The assay has been designed with the most up-to-date sequence information to ensure 100% inclusivity of all known SARS-CoV-2 sequences. The assay is also re-evaluated in silico on a periodic basis to ensure 100% inclusivity versus all available SARS-CoV-2 sequences. The test delivers a result in approximately 70 minutes.

On 10 June 2020, QuantuMDx’s COVID-19 test was CE-IVD marked under the In Vitro Diagnostics Directive (98/79/EC), enabling use within the European Union. The company has applied to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for Emergency Use Authorisation.

Earlier in May, Meridian Bioscience, Inc., a leading provider of diagnostic testing solutions and life science raw materials, announced its collaboration with QuantuMDx on its newly launched SARS-CoV-2 assay for laboratory use. The QuantuMDx assay incorporates and takes advantage of Meridian’s proprietary Lyo-Ready 1-Step RT-qPCR master mix, allowing for a fast and highly reproducible assay that is stable at ambient temperature.

Sanofi

Sanofi and Luminostics are to negotiate a collaboration on the development of a breakthrough COVID-19 self-test solution based on Luminostics’ proprietary technology. Sanofi is to leverage its global distribution network to ensure global availability, subject to relevant regulatory approvals. Sanofi’s goal is to provide a smartphone-based solution that can be carried out at home without a healthcare professional or laboratory tests, lowering the risk of catching the virus for all involved. The test, designed to detect the COVID-19 virus from respiratory samples, gives a result in 30 minutes or less.

SAVICS

SAVICS offers three tools that can help the fight against COVID-19 virus:

• DataToCare is a laboratory connectivity solution for diagnosis, surveillance, and data management of the disease on a local and national level. It delivers real-time results and analytics on COVID-19 at a regional and national level in an easy to read and digest format.

• Alics offers real-time data on the location, quantity, and availability of resources like beds, ventilators, masks, and other equipment. It simplifies resource allocation and patient planning.

• Mediscout helps guide people in the surveillance, testing, and treatment of the disease through smart surveys. It includes an artificial intelligence tool for mapping of areas at high risk for COVID-19.

SAVICS has been mandated by the Belgian head of the national reference laboratory to track the COVID-19 lab results for Belgium, where it is currently being installed in 8 laboratories across the country, and soon many more. SAVICS’s platform captures COVID-19 test results and patient data and sends the data to a national server. From the server, a dashboard provides a national/regional/provincial overview of the data in real-time.

 DataToCare, Alics, and Mediscout have the capability of integrating multiple diseases, including tuberculosis, and cover a large range of devices and tests (GeneXpert, Culture, Microscopy, DST, LPA, TB-lamp, Abbott, Roche, Molecular, Rapid-test, etc.). SAVIC’s solutions have been used in multiple countries (in Africa, South-East Asia and Europe) and are always customized to the country’s needs.

SystemOne

SystemOne’s Aspect® software platform supports the new COVID-19 module for Cepheid’s Xpert® Xpress SARS-CoV-2 rapid molecular diagnostic test, bringing rapid, accurate and standardized connected diagnostic data to clinicians, partners, and program staff through a private and secure communications network. Aspect is optimized to communicate healthcare data in low-resource settings. Every diagnostic device testing for coronavirus in a country can be connected via cellular data network using smart 2G/3G routers, for rapid and secure data transmission. A major opportunity of using this system is that COVID-19 diagnostic tests can be conducted without jeopardizing testing for tuberculosis, as shown in a recent analysis of the current utilization rates of 600+ GeneXperts across 8 countries.

More recently,  SystemOne’s Aspect® connectivity solution and software for rapid diagnostic data delivery and management was optimized for immediate use with a range of diagnostic machines already in place essential to the COVID-19 response in LMICs, including the Abbott m2000. The newest iteration of GxAlert, Aspect, can network and display test results from a range of diagnostic devices, including Abbott m2000 devices, reducing the turnaround time by days and weeks. With Aspect, a single network and a single platform, Ministries of Health can fully utilize polyvalent testing and view, manage and analyze COVID-19, HIV, and TB test results in near real-time for a faster response to the COVID pandemic and other infectious diseases.

SureAdhere

SureAdhere is now supporting home isolation monitoring for COVID-19 through its app, and has also implemented special pricing for its software. SureAdhere Video Directly Observed Therapy (VDOT) software is an asynchronous (store-and-forward) system that includes a simple mobile application used by patients to record and send videos of every medication dose ingested. Moreover, realizing that TB programs need digital health solutions to remotely monitor and support patients receiving treatment for TB disease and latent TB infection now more than ever, the company lifted barriers linked to clients’ ability to pay to ensure that onboarding and procurement procedures do not delay TB care.

GSK and SANOFI

In April, GSK joined forces with Sanofi—two of the world’s biggest vaccine companies and members of the Stop TB PSC—to combine their innovative technologies to develop an adjuvanted COVID-19 vaccine.

The candidate vaccine is expected to enter clinical trials in the second half of 2020 and, if successful, to be available in the second half of 2021. Sanofi will contribute its S-protein COVID-19 antigen, which is based on recombinant DNA technology. This technology has produced an exact genetic match to proteins found on the surface of the virus, and the DNA sequence encoding this antigen has been combined into the DNA of the baculovirus expression platform, the basis of Sanofi’s licensed recombinant influenza product in the US. GSK is contributing its proven pandemic adjuvant technology to the collaboration. Both GSK and Sanofi are committed to making any vaccine developed through the collaboration affordable to the public and through mechanisms that offer fair access for people in all countries.

This initiative is funded by the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Sanofi Pasteur is therefore expanding its long-standing partnership with BARDA, which includes an agreement signed last year to establish state of the art facilities in the United States for the sustainable production of an adjuvanted recombinant vaccine for use in the event of an influenza pandemic and based on the same technology platform that is being used for the COVID-19 program.

GSK and Sanofi are also sharing their experience in vaccine research and development with the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI).

JOHNSON & JOHNSON, GSK AND SANOFI  

Johnson & Johnson, Sanofi and GSK are committed in the research of a vaccine against COVID-19, and cooperate with other companies in their research for a vaccine:

• Sanofi Pasteur / Translate Bio: Sanofi Pasteur and Translate Bio, a clinical-stage messenger RNA (mRNA) therapeutics company, are collaborating to develop a novel mRNA vaccine for COVID-19. This collaboration leverages an existing agreement from 2018 between the two companies to develop mRNA vaccines for infectious diseases.

• Clover Biopharmaceuticals / GSK / Dynavax: GSK is providing Clover Biopharmaceuticals, a China-based global clinical-stage biotechnology company, with its vaccine adjuvant technology to support their respective COVID-19 vaccine research programs. The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) is providing initial US$3.5m to Clover Biopharmaceuticals Australia, the wholly-owned subsidiary of Sichuan Clover Biopharmaceuticals, Inc (China) to support preparation and initiation of a phase 1 trial of Clover’s protein-based COVID-19 S-Trimer vaccine in Australia.

• Xiamen Innovax Biotech Co / GSK: GSK has teamed up with Xiamen Innovax Biotech to evaluate a vaccine against the novel coronavirus behind the COVID-19 pandemic. The agreement gives Innovax access to a GSK adjuvant to enhance the immune response triggered by its recombinant protein-based vaccine.

• University of Queensland/ GSK / Dynavax: The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI is coordinating engagements between GSK and entities funded by CEPI who are interested in testing their vaccine platform with GSK’s adjuvant technology to develop effective vaccines against 2019-nCoV. The first agreement to formalize this arrangement has been signed between GSK and the University of Queensland, Australia, which entered a partnering agreement with CEPI in January 2019 to develop a “molecular clamp” vaccine platform, intended to enable targeted and rapid vaccine production against multiple viral pathogens. CEPI has extended this funding to work on a 2019-nCoV virus vaccine candidate, and access to the GSK adjuvant technology will now support this early-stage research. The University of Queensland in Australia has reported positive findings from early preclinical testing of its Covid-19 vaccine candidate.

  Vir Biotechnology / GSK: On April 6, 2020, the two companies entered in an agreement to enter into a collaboration to research and develop solutions for coronaviruses, including SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. The goal is to accelerate two promising antibody candidates.

• Johnson & Johnson / Emergent BioSolutions, Inc.: The Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson have entered into collaborations with EMERGENT BIOSOLUTIONS, INC. and Catalent Biologics to support the manufacturing of its lead investigational COVID-19 vaccine candidate. These are the first in a series of prospective global collaboration agreements designed to further the company’s goal to supply more than one billion doses of the vaccine worldwide.

• Johnson & Johnson / BARDA/ Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center: The Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson are partnering with THE BIOMEDICAL ADVANCED RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY (BARDA), part of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, and THE BETH ISRAEL DEACONESS MEDICAL CENTER (BIDMC) to develop a lead vaccine candidate for COVID-19.

Johnson & Johnson

Johnson & Johnson has committed to bringing a safe and effective vaccine to the public on a not-for-profit basis for emergency pandemic use.

Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine program is leveraging Janssen’s AdVac® and PER.C6® technologies, that provide the ability to rapidly develop new vaccine candidates and upscale production of the optimal vaccine candidate, with demonstrated ability to manufacture millions of doses. These are the same technologies that were used in the development and manufacturing of J&J’s  investigational Ebola vaccine, which is currently deployed in the DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO and RWANDA, and were also used to construct the Company’s Zika, RSV and HIV vaccine candidates.

Johnson & Johnson had announced on March 30, 2020, that A LEAD COVID-19 VACCINE CANDIDATE (with two back-ups) has been identified from constructs we have been working on since January 2020. The company expects to begin Phase 1 clinical studies by late-July 2020 and anticipates the first batches of a COVID-19 vaccine to be available for emergency use authorization in early 2021.

 Later in May, GSK announced intention to manufacture 1 billion doses of its pandemic vaccine adjuvant system, in 2021, to support the development of multiple adjuvanted COVID-19 vaccine candidates.

FURTHER INITIATIVES

GSK, Johnson & Johnson, and Sanofi are part of the NIH ACCELERATING COVID-19 THERAPEUTIC INTERVENTIONS AND VACCINES (ACTIV) public-private Partnership in the US.

On April 17, 2020 the National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced the Accelerating COVID-19 Therapeutic Interventions and Vaccines (ACTIV) public-private partnership to develop a coordinated research strategy for prioritizing and speeding development of the most promising treatments and vaccines. Coordinated by the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (FNIH), ACTIV brings NIH together with its sibling agencies in the Department of Health and Human Services, including the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA); other government agencies including the Department of Defense (DOD) and Department of Veterans Affairs (VA); the European Medicines Agency (EMA); and representatives from academia, philanthropic organizations, and numerous biopharmaceutical companies.

 At the same time, members of the PSC remain at the forefront of the fight against TB.

GSK remains committed to the development of a TB vaccine candidate. In January, the company had announced that it had licensed its M72/AS01 tuberculosis disease (TB) vaccine candidate to the Gates Medical Research Institute, paving the way for continued development and potential use of the vaccine candidate in low-income countries with high TB burdens.

Similarly, Sanofi continues to be at the forefront of devising new treatment options for TB and one of its key areas of focus is prevention, in particular through the treatment of latent tuberculosis. Sanofi remains one of the key producers of rifampicin, a key antibiotic for the treatment of TB.

Johnson & Johnson is working to ensure continuity of care for DR-TB patients – who are particularly vulnerable during the COVID-19 pandemic – as part of their 10-year commitment to help end TB. The company is helping to ensure continued scale-up of all-oral DR-TB treatment regimens, including by recently announcing, together with Stop TB Partnership, USAID and the Global Fund, a price reduction and free goods framework for our MDR-TB medicine. They are also working to ensure supply chain continuity during the pandemic and provide support for continuing medical education activities and respond to inquiries from healthcare providers to ensure appropriate use of their medicine. 

Beyond this, Johnson & Johnson is supporting in-country capacity building efforts through our DR-TB QuickFire Challenge, which will provide a total of $250,000 in funding for up to five innovators seeking to implement innovative solutions to connect patients with healthcare providers, ensure they have sufficient supply of medicines, and provide them with peer-to-peer support – all without leaving the home. Awardees will be announced by mid-August.

GSK & SANOFI

GSK and Sanofi are part of the COVID-19 Therapeutics Accelerator.

The COVID-19 Therapeutics Accelerator is a philanthropic initiative designed to coordinate R&D efforts, remove barriers to drug development and scale-up treatments to address the pandemic. The Accelerator is funded by the Wellcome Trust, Mastercard, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the U.K Department for International Development, Madonna and Michael and Susan Dell Foundation.

GSK contributes to the COVID-19 Therapeutics Accelerator by making available compounds from its libraries for screening for activity against COVID-19.

Sanofi is contributing its expertise in advancing and scaling up compounds. As of April 10, Sanofi has committed to donating 100 million doses of hydroxychloroquine to 50 countries around the world and has begun to progressively deliver the medicine to authorities that had requested it.

PSC MEMBERS PARTNERSHIPS

GSK, J&J, Mylan, and Sanofi are partnering with other organizations:

• Sanofi / Regeneron / Feinstein Institutes: Sanofi is working on developing treatments against COVID-19 through a partnership with Regeneron and Feinstein Institutes in the United States. The partners are conducting studies to test rheumatoid arthritis medicine Kevzara, interleukin-6 receptor antagonist, in patients who have contracted the virus. The trial is funded by the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA).

• GSK, Vir Biotechnology, Samsung, WuXi Biologics, Biogen: GSK, Vir Biotechnology, Samsung, WuXi Biologics, and Biogen reached an agreement earlier in April to perform large scale manufacture of SARS-COV-2 antibodies for potential COVID-19 treatment. Vir Biotechnology is advancing two clinical development candidates based on the S309 antibody as potential therapeutics for COVID-19, VIR-7831 and VIR-7832, in collaboration with GSK. Clinical testing expected to begin this summer in collaboration with GSK. Initial research findings from the Vir’s efforts to develop therapeutics for COVID-19 can be found in the May 18, 2020 issue of the journal Nature.

• Janssen / BARDA: The Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson is working with global partners – including BARDA – to investigate pathways thought to play a role in coronavirus pathophysiology. We are actively screening a library of compounds from across multiple pharmaceutical companies for potential antiviral activity in order to identify a solution that could contribute to providing relief to the current pandemic.

• Mylan: Mylan is mobilizing its resources and expertise in the battle against COVID-19 prioritizing the development of medicines being investigated for use in preventing and/or treatment COVID-19. Mylan has announced that the company executed a license agreement with Gilead Sciences to manufacture and distribute remdesivir in 127 low-and middle-income countries.  The agreement is non-exclusive, allowing for multiple licensees to ensure extensive access to treatment, once approved safe and effective for COVID-19 patients.

GSK, J&J, and Mylan are also exploring their respective compounds in the fight against the virus:

• GSK is tapping into experimental arthritis antibody to calm the cytokine storm hitting COVID-19 patients. GSK said that it has “identified” a monoclonal antibody from its pipeline, anti-GM-CSF (granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor) otilimab, as a “potential treatment for patients who have been hospitalized with severe pulmonary complications related to COVID-19.” It plans to start mid-stage testing in the coming weeks in around 800 patients in a randomized, placebo-controlled trial.

• GSK is also evaluating its marketed pharmaceutical products and medicines in development to determine if any could be used beyond their current indications in response to the pandemic. This includes medicines with potential direct anti-viral activity and those with possible utility in prevention or treatment of secondary complications of COVID-19.

• Johnson & Johnson is working closely with global partners to screen a library of compounds and review known pathways in coronavirus pathophysiology in order to identify a solution that could contribute to providing immediate relief to the current pandemic.

•  Moreover, on March 25 2020, Mylan voluntarily waived its exclusive rights in the U.S. to distribute its generic version of Kaletra® (lopinavir/ritonavir) antiretroviral 100mg/25mg and 200mg/50mg tablets to help increase the available supply of the product should it prove effective in the treatment of coronavirus.  By doing so, Mylan will enable other generic applicants to be eligible for FDA approval of their medicines for patients in the U.S., expanding access in the event that additional clinical studies or other evaluations conclude that the product may be effective in treating COVID-19.

  Given the high rates of HIV and TB

• Given the high rates of HIV and TB co-infection, and the susceptibility of people living with HIV (PLHIV) to TB, a critical public health need for both HIV and TB during the COVID-19 crisis has been to maintain continuity of antiretroviral (ARV) treatment among PLHIV. As the world's largest supplier by volume of antiretroviral drugs, Mylan has responded to requests by the Global Fund and the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) to shift ARV supply to 3 and 6-month packs to minimize the need for patient visits to healthcare facilities.

• Mylan has been a leader in the fight against TB through its collaboration with multiple partners. Like COVID-19, TB attacks the lungs, putting TB patients at a higher risk from COVID-19 complications. The World Health Organization has urged healthcare professionals to "urgently maintain continuity of essential services for people affected with TB during the COVID-19 pandemic." Mylan is doing its part by working to ensure that these patients are not left behind through efforts to provide an uninterrupted and affordable supply of TB drugs to the highest-burden TB countries around the world.

ANGLO AMERICAN

 Anglo American donated medical material across many countries it operates in. It includes:

• Donating 80,000 masks in Singapore.

• Sending medical supplies to Til Til community hospital in Chile.

• Providing 500 snacks or lunch boxes per day to army forces, national police, health employees and voluntaries who have been working during the emergency in Peru.

• Donating of 200 bottles of D-germ sanitizers, 1000 N-95 masks, and 2000 pairs of Nitril gloves in South Africa.

• Donations to the municipalities in our areas of influence, totalling over USD 1 million in respirators and PPEs in Brazil.

Overall, the company is contributing to health care support by providing use of Anglo American’s medical facilities for testing and potential quarantine stations; donating medical supplies such as testing kits, masks, gloves and sanitizers; and providing medical equipment, such as use of company ambulances, and ICU unit equipment. Countries that benefit from such actions include Australia, Botswana, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Namibia, Peru, South Africa, and the UK.

CEPHEID

Danaher, the company under which Cepheid operates, has made in-kind donations to global organizations supporting countries and regions hit the hardest by the pandemic.

CHEVRON

In the Texas Delaware Basin, Chevron Land Team Lead started 3D-printing face shields for critical medical workers. The site is still getting requests from regional hospitals and clinics around Houston and will keep printing and delivering face shields until the requests all die down.

 GSK

In Belgium, GSK has donated 4,500 disposable overalls to hospitals mid-March and made 10 tons of additional equipment available to federal authorities in April: cloth coveralls, disposable aprons, gloves, and soap. This equipment was redistributed to Belgian hospitals and medical institutions as needed. Over 300,000 units of PPE were donated globally. Overall, GSK donated lab equipment, instruments, and scientific kits to support government testing and over 700,000 PPE units to protect frontline health workers in 29 countries.

JOHNSON & JOHNSON

In March, the Johnson & Johnson Family of Companies and the Johnson & Johnson Foundation committed $50 million dollars to support and supply frontline health workers—from meals to protective equipment, extra training to mental health. This commitment expands upon a $250 million multi-year commitment the company made earlier this year to support those at the frontlines guided by the JOHNSON & JOHNSON CENTER FOR HEALTH WORKER INNOVATION.  Their contributions are delivering essential training and education, supporting mental health and well-being, fostering advocacy, helping to strengthen leadership and management skills, and ensuring frontline health workers are connected to each other, to communities and to health systems. 

MYLAN

Mylan is actively supporting communities impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic through in-kind donations of product or personal protective gear and financial support for food pantries or other overall COVID-19 relief efforts. 

OTSUKA

In April, PSC member Otsuka announced the extension of its patient support programs, Otsuka Patient Support and Otsuka Patient Assistance Foundation, to provide “no-cost” access to its branded portfolio of prescription medicines for patients in the U.S. who have lost a job or health insurance coverage due to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic.

Otsuka remains committed to continuing its efforts in TB research and development, in particular against multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB).

ANGLO AMERICAN

Anglo American is supporting communities around its operations during COVID-19. In several regions, Anglo American operations supply communities with clean water. During COVID-19, additional effort is being made to distribute water tanks to the most vulnerable communities. Moreover, the company is delivering food parcels to vulnerable and quarantined households in the communities around its operations. Finally, the firm is supporting communication and awareness campaigns in its communities through radio, community channels, and information booklets.

CEPHEID

On 10 June 2020, 100,000 Xpert® Xpress SARS-CoV-2 tests donated by Cepheid to The Stop TB Partnership’s Global Drug Facility (GDF) towards the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

“With more than 11,000 systems in low- and middle-income countries, we are pleased to provide additional access to testing and help contain the COVID-19 pandemic around the world. The Stop TB Partnership’s Global Drug Facility is an ideal partner that has heavily contributed over the years to the deployment of GeneXpert and Xpert MTB/RIF tests globally.”

Philippe Jacon, SVP Global Access, Cepheid, PSC Deputy Chair

These tests will further expand equitable, geographic access for countries with insufficient funding to procure the tests, complementing quantities allocated by Cepheid to the World Health Organization Diagnostics Consortium, where the Global Fund serves as the leading funder and procurer of Cepheid tests.

Through this donation, GDF will also allocate Xpert® Xpress SARS-CoV-2 tests to selected research programs aiming to generate evidence that can inform future approaches to managing the COVID-19 pandemic.

Global rollout of Xpert systems to diagnose TB now provides an efficient platform to accelerate testing for the new coronavirus. The ability of Xpert platforms to test for both COVID-19 and TB will also facilitate a coordinated procurement approach across disease programs.
The 100,000 cartridges were donated by Cepheid with in-kind and transport costs covered by Stop TB Partnership’s GDF.

CHEVRON 

Chevron Pacific Indonesia stepped in to ship 23 patient beds from Bogor and deliver them to the city of Dumai, where medical facilities faced a limited number of isolation rooms to treat COVID-19 patients. In all, 53 beds were delivered to three different cities in the province, with 20 more to be distributed later.

becton dickinson, GSK, and JOHNSON & JOHNSON

BD, GSK and J&J are providing online educational resources for the general public and for healthcare professionals. GSK is providing free curriculum linked STEM resources online in the UK and US, supporting teachers and parents whilst students are at home. Similarly, the Johnson & Johnson Institute expanded its educational ecosystem with a new COVID-19 Community Hub to meet some of the pressing needs of healthcare professionals (HCPs) around the world. The JOHNSON & JOHNSON INSTITUTE—which trains more than 210,000 healthcare providers each year on everything from how to use medical device implants to how to perform ear, nose and throat procedures—has expanded its collaboration with ADVANCES IN SURGERY (AIS) to help provide the latest information about COVID-19 to surgeons, nurses and other healthcare providers. The J&J Center for health worker innovation is partnering with the American Organization for Nursing Leadership on a series of crisis-leadership educational resources. The company also supports frontline health workers with resources on wellbeing and resilience.

BD announced THE LAUNCH OF THE PREVENTION COURSE IN HAI KNOWLEDGE AND CONTROL, developed independently by the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) and supported in full by an educational grant from BD.

Johnson & Johnson has provided nearly $10 million in cash donations and sponsorships to support our communities.  Recipients include organizations such as the CDC Foundation’s ALL OF US Campaign, Swiss Red Cross, Red Cross Association (China), Community Foundation of NJ Disaster Response Fund, COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund, American Nurses Foundation, International Committee of the Red Cross and Red Crescent and others. 

In support of healthcare providers treating patients with COVID-19, ETHICON, a JOHNSON & JOHNSON MEDICAL DEVICES COMPANY, and not-for-profit company Prisma Health announced a collaboration in early April to manufacture and distribute a DEVICE DEVELOPED BY PRISMA HEALTH that allows a single ventilator to be fitted for use by two rescuable patients for ventilatory support during the COVID-19 pandemic until individual ventilators are available. Ethicon uses 3-D printing technology to manufacture and distribute the device at no cost to healthcare providers in the United States during the pandemic.

MYLAN

Mylan has prioritized the production and supply, including donations, of medicines used in the response to COVID-19, including those needed in intensive care units.

Mylan donated products (including lopinavir/ritonavir tablets, 200/50mg, and hydroxychloroquine sulfate tablets, 200mg) to the World Health Organization (WHO) to support its investigation of the potential effectiveness of several medicines in treating COVID-19 in the global SOLIDARITY trial.  The trial is a multi-arm, multi-country, adaptive, clinical trial investigating potential therapies to treat COVID-19.  It is part of the WHO's accelerated effort to determine which, if any, therapies reduce mortality, hospital duration, and/or the need for ventilation or ICU for patients diagnosed as COVID-19 positive.

Anglo AMerican 

Anglo American set up different mechanism to fund the COVID-19 response:

• The Anglo American Foundation has set up a global programme to match employees’ personal donations initially up to $1 million.

• Anglo American’s Board directors and Group Management Committee members have agreed to donate 30% of their fees or salaries for three months to their personal choice of COVID-19 related charities or funds.

• In South Africa, Anglo American and De Beers will be making additional donations of $2 million to South Africa’s Solidarity Fund that exists specifically to help address the impacts of COVID-19.

• Also, in South Africa, $1 million will be donated to the Oppenheimer family’s South African Future Trust that has been established to support small and medium-sized businesses through the crisis

• Anglo American is consistently building on the $25 million value of its additional COVID-19 global relief donations and in-kind contributions to date across its host jurisdictions in southern Africa, the Americas, Australia, and the UK.

Chevron 

Chevron employees also stepped in to support local initiatives across many countries the company operates in. With the fundraiser created at the initiative of a Chevron’s employee in the United States and the Chevron match program, more than $1,000 were raised for the Southern Smoke Foundation, a charity that supports food and beverage industry workers during crises and has distributed millions of dollars to assist Houston-based workers affected by the COVID-19 outbreak.

In Singapore, in an effort to provide migrant workers with food as they were mandated to stay in their dormitories, a Chevron employee took the initiative to reach out to the Singapore Migrant Worker Center. In just 4 days of project “Lovid”, a group of Chevron employees raised about S$18,000 and provided snacks to 28,500 migrant workers.In Atyrau, Kazakhstan, Chevron employees donated funds to a local café that had just started a campaign to support medical workers. Chevron employees also helped spread word of the campaign across the organization and to other companies. In just one week, donations from Chevron employees alone helped the café provide more than 700 meals to healthcare heroes, and more than 1,600 meals provided in one month.

BECTON DICKINSON

BD is deploying $1.1 million in cash and product donations to seven non-profit organizations – Direct Relief, the International Medical Corps, Americares, the World Health Organization-United Nations Foundation COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund, Project HOPE, the CDC Foundation and the Wuhan Red Cross – to advance their work to contain COVID-19, support healthcare workers and treat patients in countries throughout the world.

 Danaher, the company under which Cepheid operates, made a one-time donation to the four organizations below in the amount of $250K USD each, for a total of $1 million USD and offer 2:1 matching (up to an additional $1M USD total) on all associate donations to these organizations:

• Direct Relief: Direct Relief is a humanitarian organization which coordinates with public health authorities, nonprofit organizations, and businesses globally to provide PPE and essential medical items to health workers responding to COVID-19.

• The World Health Organization (WHO): COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund provides support globally to all countries to help prevent, detect, and respond to the pandemic. This fund is powered by the United Nations Foundation.

• Save the Children and No Kind Hungry: With 94% of schools closed due to coronavirus, Save the Children and No Kid Hungry has been working to support vulnerable children in the US and internationally. Their efforts are focused on supporting vulnerable families, reducing severe disruptions to children's education, and supporting their emotional well-being.

• Feeding America: The Feeding America network is the largest hunger-relief organization in the United States. Their COVID-19 Response Fund enables food banks to secure the resources they need to serve the most vulnerable members of the community during this difficult time.

gsk

GSK donated $10 million to WHO and the UN Foundation’s COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund to support WHO and partners prevent, detect, and manage the pandemic, particularly where the needs are the greatest. The company also initiated a new volunteer process for employees to provide medical or specialist skills to frontline workers and national governments, and matched employee donations to support national front-line health worker charities like the UK NHS Charities Together, US Direct Relief, and Italy National Crisis Fund. Additionally, over £10.2m in 39 countries were donated to local charities and communities including £3m fund from ViiV Healthcare, the global specialist HIV company majority owned by GSK, with Pfizer Inc. and Shionogi Limited as shareholders, to research the impact of COVID-19 on the HIV community and fill gaps in prevention, treatment and care during the pandemic.

Mylan 

As the COVID-19 pandemic has continued to evolve, Mylan has been especially mindful of ensuring access to medicine for underserved patient populations and some of the world’s most vulnerable communities by maintaining its giving programs and by fielding additional requests related to COVID-19-related needs. Additionally, the company continues to support local giving strategies, empowering in-market business leaders to ensure the broadest impact is made toward the most pressing needs through in-kind donations of or through financial support of local causes, such as food pantries or other relief efforts. Recent examples include:

• Mylan Ireland made a financial donation to the Irish Cancer Society to help them reach patients who are afraid of seeking help during the pandemic. The team also made an emergency crisis donation to the country’s leading homeless and addiction charity.

• Mylan is contributing a significant amount from the Mylan India Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Fund to Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund (PM-CARES). In turn, we established a way for employees to voluntarily contribute as well.

• Mylan Morgantown's cafe team donated box lunches to staff at Sundale Nursing Home who are caring for residents amid the pandemic.

CHEVRON

Chevron Oronite Labs Gonfreville stepped in when French authorities reached out to companies to help facilitate hand sanitizer production and distribution, as the country was facing a shortage. Chevron Oronite Labs Gonfreville used part of their facility to produce needed hand sanitizer. Following a recipe provided by the World Health Organization, the facility is producing an average of 70L of hand sanitizer per week and will continue to do so as long as there is demand.

GSK 

As part of the UK Government’s announcement of a new five pillar plan to boost testing for COVID-19, GSK, a PSC member, AstraZeneca, and the University of Cambridge formed a joint collaboration to take action to support this national effort. A new testing laboratory was set up by GSK, AstraZeneca and Cambridge at the University’s Anne McLaren laboratory for high throughput screening for COVID-19 testing, and to explore the use of alternative chemical reagents for test kits in order to help overcome current supply shortages. Alongside this, GSK and AstraZeneca are working together to provide process optimization support to the UK national testing centers. In Belgium, GSK is using its premises in Rixensart to carry out up to 6.000 tests per day in its laboratories against the coronavirus.

SAnofi 

Many Sanofi employees with medical training have volunteered or been enlisted to help treat critically ill COVID-19 patients to support the heavy toll on medical staff and facilities around the world.