Business & Industry News Channel
Sanofi today launches Foundation S - The Sanofi Collective, its philanthropic endowment fund aiming to create healthier futures for generations. Using donations, partnerships and collective action, Foundation S will focus on three critical areas: childhood cancer, the health of communities most vulnerable to the effects of climate change and pollution, and access to lifesaving medicines and vaccines. 
Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE) shared top-line results from the Phase 2/3 EPIC-PEP (Evaluation of Protease Inhibition for COVID-19 in Post-Exposure Prophylaxis) study evaluating PAXLOVID™ (nirmatrelvir [PF-07321332] tablets and ritonavir tablets) for post-exposure prophylactic use. In this trial, compared to placebo, Pfizer observed risk reductions of 32% and 37% in adults who received PAXLOVID for five and ten days, respectively, to prevent infection. 
Novartis announced that it condemns the war in Ukraine: "The continued acts of unprovoked violence are harming innocent people, and this defies our mission to improve human health globally.
"As a medicines company, we have delivered more than one million packs of antibiotics, painkillers, cardiovascular, and oncology treatments which amounts to more than USD 25 million in medical aid to maintain the supply to those who rely on these drugs in Ukraine and in the border areas where people are seeking refuge."
Detailed results from the PROVENT Phase III pre-exposure prophylaxis (prevention) trial showed that AstraZeneca's Evusheld (tixagevimab and cilgavimab), formerly AZD7442, reduced the risk of developing symptomatic COVID-19 by 77% in the primary analysis and by 83% in the six month follow-up analysis, compared to placebo. There were no cases of severe disease or COVID-19 related deaths in the Evusheld group through the six-month follow-up. Sanofi launches its Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I) Board, the first-of-its-kind in the pharmaceutical industry to feature outside advisors. Sanofi’s DE&I Board will include three of the most influential voices in the DE&I space as Board members appointed for 3 years: organizational psychologist & best-selling author John Amaechi, award-winning social entrepreneur Caroline Casey, and DE&I pioneer and renowned thought-leader Dr. Rohini Anand. 
Roche (SIX: RO, ROG; OTCQX: RHHBY) announced the donation of additional medicines and diagnostics to Ukraine.
Beyond the already communicated 150,000 packs of an antibiotic medicine the new donation includes another 4,600 packs of specialized medicines for the treatment of influenza, rheumatoid arthritis, SMA and various cancers.
The researchers, including at UBC, Université de Sherbrooke, and Cornell University, believe this is the first treatment of its kind proven to be effective against all COVID-19 variants of concern reported to date, including alpha, beta, gamma and delta.
