IBSA JOINS THE FIGHT AGAINST COVID-19: DONATION OF CHF 500,000 AND MEDICAL SUPPLIES TO HELP THE MOST AFFECTED AREAS

The Cantonal Hospital Network (EOC), Swiss Solidarity, Red Cross and Civil Protection Corps are among the main recipients of the Group’s initiative, which will provide financial support and much-needed medical supplies

Pambio Noranco (Lugano), April 3, 2020 – IBSA Institut Biochimique SA – a Swiss pharmaceutical company based in Lugano with a strong business and production presence in Italy – has put together a help package to support healthcare facilities in the areas most affected by the COVID-19 emergency. In particular, the Group is making a donation of CHF 500,000, which will be divided proportionally between Switzerland and Italy.

In Switzerland, the donation will go to support the Cantonal Hospital Network (EOC), which comprises the healthcare facilities of Canton Ticino currently on the front line in the treatment of infected patients, Swiss Solidarity, which will assess how to redistribute the funds to the most actively-engaged humanitarian organizations, the Red Cross and the Civil Protection Corps.

In Italy, the beneficiaries of the donation will be the Ospedale Maggiore in Lodi, where the Italian branch of the Group is located, and the Ospedale Papa Giovanni XXIII, in the front line of defence of the community of Bergamo, one of the worst affected areas in the country. Furthermore, a share will also be allocated to the Civil Protection Corps and the Red Cross, who are playing a fundamental role in the management of the emergency.

In addition to the allocation of the funds to these organizations, much-needed medical supplies are already being sent to hospital and healthcare facilities (such as sanitizer, masks, alcohol and medical aprons).

“In the light of what is happening in our communities, in Canton Ticino and Lombardy, we felt it was our duty to make a contribution to support the organizations and associations that are at the forefront in the management of this unprecedented crisis”, said Arturo Licenziati President & CEO of IBSA Group , “The communities, in which we live and work every day, in Switzerland and Italy, have been hit hard by the emergency and it is our responsibility to help them at this time of urgent need. This sense is shared by all of IBSA’s people, who asked the company to set up an official channel for the collection and coordination of the donations of individual employees”.

This is why IBSA also set up a COVID-19 Fund to collect employees’ donations, on a purely voluntary basis, which will support organizations hit hard by the economic crisis caused by the emergency.

The employees of various offices of IBSA are also among those at the forefront in this extraordinary situation, including in particular those whose jobs do not permit them to work from home and who have to travel to the factories or offices every day to ensure business continuity and to guarantee the availability of the drugs necessary to treat patients. To protect the health of its workers the company immediately implemented extraordinary measures and, as an acknowledgement of their commitment and self-sacrifice, also increased their salaries by 25%.

“People – be they employees, doctors or patients – have always been one of the pillars on which the company is built: they are central to our business, especially at present, in the face of what is happening. IBSA considers supporting the people that work in the company, their families and the communities to which they belong as its responsibility, but also a great opportunity to give back at least a part of what they have donated, with passion and tireless dedication, over many years”, concluded Arturo Licenziati.

IBSA Group

IBSA is a privately-owned pharmaceutical company, founded in Lugano in 1945 and its products are marketed in more than 80 countries in the 5 continents. The Group has 13 affiliates in Europe, China and the United States and employs a total of 2000 people, distributed among the various offices and production sites and its 14 Research and Development laboratories worldwide. Thanks to its wide and competitive product portfolio covering 9 main therapeutic areas, IBSA holds a leading position in the world markets: in particular, it is the fourth biggest operator in the Fertility sector and a world leader in hyaluronic acid-based products.

IBSA strongly believes in people and their potential, and for this reason is committed to placing the individual at the center of all its actions, relationships and projects. IBSA’s social responsibility projects are based on caring for people and their wellbeing, and reinforce its commitment to returning value to both people – employees, patients and their families – and to the regions and communities in which it operates.

Corporate Communication IBSA Institut Biochimique

Silvia Misiti – email hidden; JavaScript is required – +41 583601660