CARY, N.C., March 31, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Chiesi USA, the U.S. affiliate of Chiesi Farmaceutici, an international research-focused healthcare Group (Chiesi Group), today announced a range of new measures to support employees, patients and healthcare providers in response to the continuing COVID-19 pandemic. The measures followed actions taken by Chiesi Group, which recently created a €3 million fund to support the response to coronavirus in Italy and sent additional resources to employees around the globe. The Chiesi Emergency Management Teams, at the corporate level and in all affiliates, continue to closely monitor all developments of the COVID-19 pandemic as they have since the emergency was declared.
Continuing the production and supply of medicines
Following the decree by the Italian government on March 22, which called for the manufacture of all non-essential products in Italy to stop, Chiesi Group confirmed that production of all Company medicines would continue without interruption at its sites in Italy and abroad. The Company also assured government and regulatory bodies that production would maintain the same high-quality standards. As of today, Chiesi continues to deliver medicines under normal production and distribution channels from all of its production plants in Italy, Brazil and France. Additionally, the Company’s global operations in research and development continue to advance.
Taking care of its employees
In response to the pandemic, Chiesi USA created the Chiesi Emergency Management Team to implement measures to safeguard the health and safety of all employees. The Company also put in place a mandatory work from home policy for employees starting on March 13 and suspended domestic and international air travel on March 10. Chiesi USA then acted to protect its employees and their dependents through advocating for the use of existing benefits such as telemedicine and other healthcare resources.
Supporting the community
As a Certified B Corporation, Chiesi USA is committed to having a positive impact on society during this critical time. Through its corporate responsibility program, Chiesi in the Community (CITC), Chiesi USA provided additional financial support to three local community partners:
Chiesi USA also continues to offer its matching donations program to amplify the impact of employee donations to charitable causes of their choice.
“In response to this unprecedented global health crisis, Chiesi remains committed to improving the quality of life of our patients and of our employees and collaborators while also protecting the health and well-being of our employees, patients and partners. This is at the heart of all the decisions we make related to the pandemic,” comments Ugo Di Francesco, CEO of Chiesi Group. “We are very pleased that we have been able to ensure the continued production and supply of our drugs to the hospitals, doctors and patients who rely on our medicines. As a pharmaceutical company, we are also leveraging our expertise, resources and materials for healthcare professionals globally and are looking at ways to increase our capacity as needs expand. We continue to work with all our partners and local, national or regional bodies all over the globe to ensure we can support them to the best of our ability.”
“We have deep sympathy for the individuals, families, communities and businesses whose lives have been disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic,” says Ken McBean, President and CEO of Chiesi USA. “We are fortunate to provide smart working solutions for our employees and grateful to our Chiesi family as we continue to fulfill the needs of our patients and local community, now more than ever.”
“We are honored to be able to play our part in response to the crisis caused by this pandemic. In Italy, we are facing what can only be described as a national emergency. As we increase our initiatives to protect our employees and patients, their safety will remain our first priority,” says Alberto Chiesi, President of Chiesi Group. “I am deeply proud of the commitment demonstrated by all our employees in this difficult time and would like to extend my personal thanks to them all.”
For more information on Chiesi Group’s response efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic, please visit https://www.chiesi.com/en/coronavirus/.
About Chiesi USA
Chiesi USA, Inc., headquartered in Cary, North Carolina, is a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on commercialization of products for the hospital and target office-based specialties. The Company is a wholly-owned subsidiary of family-owned Chiesi Farmaceutici S.p.A, a global R&D-focused pharmaceutical company based in Parma, Italy. In the United States, the Company delivers therapies and enhances care for patients in the areas of acute cardiology, neonatology and cystic fibrosis. Recognized as a Certified B Corporation™, Chiesi is dedicated to improving the health and well-being of its communities through its employee-led corporate social responsibility program, Chiesi in the Community. Innovation, collaboration and impact are the cornerstones of the Chiesi culture. For more information, visit www.chiesiusa.com.
About Chiesi Group
Based in Parma, Italy, Chiesi Farmaceutici is an international research-focused healthcare group with 85 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry and a global presence in 29 countries. Chiesi researches, develops, and markets innovative drugs in the respiratory therapeutics, specialist medicine and rare disease areas. Its R&D organization is headquartered in Parma, Italy, and is integrated with R&D groups in France, the USA, the UK and Sweden to advance Chiesi's pre-clinical, clinical and registration programs. Chiesi employs nearly 6,000 people. Chiesi Group is a Certified B Corporation™. For more information, please visit www.chiesi.com.
Contacts:
Media: FleishmanHillard, Elizabeth Comtois, (919) 334-3786, elizabeth.comtois@fleishman.com
Chiesi USA: Michael Wasyluk, (919) 678-6611, michael.wasyluk@chiesi.com
Chiesi Group: Valentina Biagini, Senior Group Communication Manager, Tel +39 348 7693 623, v.biagini@chiesi.com
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