The pharmaceutical industry faces tremendous opportunities associated with extraordinary scientific and technological progress. With these opportunities come great challenges created by the growing expectations of patients, healthcare providers, and governments for accessible, cost effective medicines as quickly as possible.  We have a strong commitment to partnerships involving everyone in healthcare. Our core philosophy is competitive superiority and shareholder value. It is through those strengths that we believe Millennium Pharmaceuticals will continue to provide longer, healthier lives through pharmaceuticals.

The pharmaceutical industry has made tremendous strides in providing assistance to fight the HIV/AIDS pandemic in Africa. In the past two years the major pharmaceutical firms in the United States and across the world have made major commitments to funding, providing research, medicines, and outreach to nations in Africa. For example,

• Bristol-Myers Squibb has a “Secure the Future” program that is a five-year $100 million commitment to help women and children with HIV/AIDS in southern Africa, Swaziland, Lesotho, and Namibia.

• Pfizer recently offered Duflican anti-fungal medicine at no charge to HIV/AIDS patients in 50 least-developed countries as identified by the United Nations where HIV/AIDS is most prevalent.

• Merck initiated the Botswana Comprehensive HIV/AIDS Partnership with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation with a cash contribution of $50 million over 5 years by the Gates Foundation and a matching cash contribution by Merck. In addition, Merck will supply, at no charge, the government of Botswana whatever is required in the way of Merck’s antiretrovirals.  

• Boehringer-Ingelheim is providing (VIRAMUNE) nevirapine free of charge to developing countries for the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV. One oral dose given to a woman in labor and another to her newborn within three days of birth was more effective than a ZDV regimen in reducing transmission and less expensive.

  Millennium Pharmaceuticals is prepared to donate $50 million to initiate a training center for doctors/nurses/healthcare workers to test for HIV/AIDS and administer medications/treatment in the three African countries with the highest incidence of HIV/AIDS. Our primary goal is to facilitate education and prevention in those developing countries.

  Gordon Marcus,  Board of Directors

  Angela Sweet, Public Relations

  Harold Schroeder, HIV/AIDS Research and Development

  Questions for Millennium