Bristol-Myers Squibb in action to support fight against COVID-19

Since the outbreak of the coronavirus in China, Bristol-Myers Squibb has been committed to supporting the prevention and control of the epidemic situation.

"As a world leading bio-pharma company rooted in China, we have been paying close attention to the situation of COVID-19 and have devoted ourselves to making every effort and contribution to help combat the disease together with China," said Chen Siyuan, general manager of Bristol-Myers Squibb Chinese mainland and Hong Kong.

During the Chinese New Year, the news that hospitals in Wuhan and other parts of Hubei Province were in urgent need of medical supplies immediately caught the attention of the Bristol-Myers Squibb China leadership team led by Chen, who obtained endorsement from the US headquarters and quickly mobilized resources and collaborated with various partners for donations including:

A 1 million yuan (US$140,000) donation in cash through the Shanghai Red Cross Society for the purchase of medical supplies urgently needed in Wuhan and other parts of Hubei, supporting the protection of front-line medical professionals in treating patients;

A donation of vitamin products (Theragran) equivalent to a value of 4 million yuan through the Shanghai Red Cross Society, in order to aid the people in Wuhan and other parts of Hubei to prevent and fight against the virus;

The BMS Foundation quickly joined hands with MAP International and Project HOPE for a coordinated and swift international response to COVID-19, obtained and delivered urgently needed medical supplies from the US, including 220,000 medical N95 masks, 280,000 pairs of protective gloves and 10,758 protective suits, and distributed them to six key hospitals in Wuhan through the Hubei Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

In addition, the company has always put patients and employees first:

Bristol-Myers Squibb has been partnering with e-commerce partners for innovative ways to ensure timely access to Baraclude for chronic HBV patients during the epidemic situation.

Prioritizing its employees, the company also mobilized quickly to deliver urgent and professional assistance to ensure the safety and health of its employees in China.

"We are happy to see great progress being achieved so far in China in fighting against COVID-19. We truly believe that with all the joint efforts, China will win the battle," Chen said. "China is of great strategic importance to the development of Bristol-Myers Squibb, and we will continue with our strong commitment to China to help more Chinese patients fight against serious diseases."