Editor's Note: Is your company bracing for Milton or working to provide aid in anticipation of the storm? Contact Fierce Pharma Staff Writer Fraiser Kansteiner at [email protected] to update us on your efforts. We will update this story throughout the week.
As the eastern U.S. braces for another storm in the form of Hurricane Milton, at least one major drugmaker is stepping up to support Florida locals and preserve access to critical medical supplies and drugs.
Pfizer—which opened a global hub in Tampa, Florida, in 2021—is setting out to bolster emergency services, pool donations and ease medical supply needs as Milton touches down this week, the company’s CEO, Albert Bourla, Ph.D., said in a post on X (formerly Twitter) Tuesday.
“Like many people, I have watched with a heavy heart as the scale of the damage caused by Hurricane Helene has become fully evident,” the chief executive said. “Now it seems Hurricane Milton is heading toward the Tampa area, where we have a major Pfizer facility.”
In light of the impending natural disaster, Bourla said Pfizer is pledging all it can to support the community during this trying time.
To contribute during the storm, Pfizer will provide financial assistance to the American Red Cross and International Medical Corps, Bourla explained.
Additionally, the company is launching a “disaster match” campaign where it will meet Pfizer employees’ donations dollar-for-dollar through the Pfizer foundation.
Pfizer is also looking to preserve access to medical essentials by activating its patient assistance program for Pfizer drugs and teaming up with donation partners to meet urgent medical supply needs, the CEO added.
“We are committed to the health and well-being of all, and will continue to work alongside our partners to assist those in need during these difficult times,” Bourla said in his post.
Pfizer’s aid commitment comes just days after Hurricane Helene wreaked havoc on large swathes of the eastern U.S., with North Carolina being hit particularly hard.
Baxter International, which is the U.S.’ top supplier of hospital IV fluids, suffered extensive flooding at its North Cove facility in Marion, North Carolina, which the company has had to temporarily shut down as remediation efforts move forward.
Baxter does not currently have a timeline for when the plant—the biggest in its manufacturing network—will come back online, which has prompted multiple hospitals around the country to implement supply conservation efforts.
Pfizer, for its part, opened its “global capability hub” in Tampa back in February 2021. The site includes a range of services like finance, human resources and sourcing at a single location.
Pfizer is joined in the Floridian city by the likes of Amgen, Bristol Myers Squibb and Johnson & Johnson. These companies did not immediately respond to Fierce Pharma’s request for comment around potential aid and disaster preparation efforts.
According to the National Weather Service, Milton jumped ahead of weekend forecasts when it grew to a Category 5 storm in the Gulf of Mexico midday Monday.
The storm is expected to drop to a strong Category 3 once it makes landfall late Wednesday or early Thursday near Tampa.
As of Monday morning, Florida’s Agency for Health Care Administration had received reports of 64 healthcare facility evacuations, which include four hospitals, 21 assisted living facilities and 33 nursing homes, Fierce Healthcare reports.