CAMBRIDGE, Mass., July 13 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Genzyme Corporation
(Nasdaq: GENZ) and Project HOPE, an international, nonprofit, health education
and humanitarian assistance organization, announced today that they will
collaborate on two major programs to address the longer-term health care needs
of people affected by the tsunami in Indonesia and Thailand. As part of its
dedication to building a sustainable health care infrastructure and to improve
health education in these under-served areas, Genzyme will provide a three-
year contribution totaling $1,000,000.
"The tsunami disaster in Southeast Asia has touched all of us at Genzyme
on a very personal level," said Henri Termeer, chairman and chief executive
officer of Genzyme Corporation. "We wanted to contribute to the rebuilding
effort in line with our corporate philosophy of creating constructive
solutions to global health problems. These new programs are an extension of
our partnership with Project HOPE on another initiative to provide free
medicine to patients in under-served areas around the world."
Over the past few months, Genzyme and Project HOPE have been evaluating
needs in the tsunami-affected areas and how they can contribute to rebuilding
the necessary medical infrastructure, while providing long-term education and
training to address ongoing health needs.
"Genzyme's donation will be put to work immediately, as Project HOPE is
now underway with its long-term plan to implement sustainable health care
programs to meet the needs of the tsunami-affected communities," said John P.
Howe III, M.D., president and CEO of Project HOPE.
The first project is a one-year program designed to improve the national
level of pediatric critical care nursing skills in Thailand. Doctors from the
ministry of Public Health identified the need for this training. In
collaboration with the Chiang Mai University Faculty of Nursing, 55 nurses
from hospitals serving the tsunami-affected areas will be trained with a
standardized curriculum, resulting in certification. To ensure sustainability,
the trained nurses will then train peer nurses at their hospitals, which will
raise the level of pediatric critical care nursing across Thailand.
In addition, a three-year commitment will be made to re-equip and provide
health professional training in order to re-establish quality medical service
at Zainoel Abidin University Hospital in Bande Aceh, Indonesia, which lost 50
percent of its staff and most of its equipment, furniture and supplies in the
tsunami. Doctors and nurses from Massachusetts General Hospital have
volunteered with Project HOPE to restore medical services at the hospital and
will also be supporting this initiative by providing training to the new
Abidin hospital staff. During the first year, the focus will be on the
pulmonary/infectious disease unit and OB/GYN care.
Throughout the multi-year initiatives, Genzyme and Project HOPE will
conduct periodic evaluations of each program. Full-time staff on the ground
and visiting experts from Project HOPE will provide on-going monitoring and
evaluation.
In Genzyme's commitment to ensuring access to its therapies, the company
has developed a partnership model where humanitarian efforts are paired with
education and advocacy to demonstrate the value of its products to governments
and insurers. In developing countries, Genzyme sponsors the Gaucher Initiative
through Project HOPE, providing its enzyme replacement therapy Cerezyme(R) to
Gaucher patients around the world. Through the Gaucher Initiative, more than
200 patients in 17 countries, many of them children with severe Gaucher
disease, a rare inherited disorder, have received Genzyme's life-saving
therapy.
About Genzyme Corporation
One of the world's leading biotechnology companies, Genzyme is dedicated
to making a major positive impact on the lives of people with serious
diseases. Founded in 1981, Genzyme has grown from a small start-up to a
diversified enterprise with annual revenues exceeding $2 billion and more than
7,000 employees in locations spanning the globe. With many established
products and services helping patients in more than 80 countries, Genzyme is a
leader in the effort to develop and apply the most advanced technologies in
the life sciences. The company's products and services are focused on rare
inherited disorders, kidney disease, orthopedics, cancer, transplant and
immune diseases, and diagnostic testing. Genzyme's commitment to innovation
continues today with a substantial development program focused on these
fields, as well as heart disease and other areas of unmet medical need.
About Project HOPE
Founded in 1958, Project HOPE (Health Opportunities for People Everywhere)
is dedicated to providing lasting solutions to health problems, with the
mission of helping people to help themselves. Identifiable to many by the SS
HOPE, the world's first peacetime hospital ship, Project HOPE now conducts
land-based medical training and health education programs in 35 countries
across five continents. For more information, please visit
http://www.projecthope.org.
Genzyme(R) is a registered trademark of Genzyme Corporation.
Genzyme's press releases and other company information are available at
http://www.genzyme.com and by calling Genzyme's investor information line at
1-800-905-4369 within the United States or 1-703-797-1866 outside the United
States.
CONTACTS:
For Genzyme For Project HOPE
Sally Curley (investors) Lori Allesee (media)
(617) 768-6140 (540) 837-2100
Laura Boscarino (media)
(210) 845-9355
SOURCE Genzyme Corporation
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Related links:
http://www.genzyme.com
http://www.projecthope.org
Company News On-Call:
http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/104284.html
CONTACT:
Sally Curley (investors), +1-617-768-6140, or
Laura Boscarino (media), +1-210-845-9355, both for Genzyme; or
Lori Allesee (media) for Project HOPE, +1-540-837-2100
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